Early Puberty in Girls: The Essential Guide to Coping with This Common Problem

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1: Puberty 101
What most parents understand about puberty is based on their own experience with it. Women typically recall the time of their first menstrual period (we use the term menarche when we refer to this event), and men often remember the grade they were in when

The definitive book about early puberty in girls-what it is, how it happens, when to be concerned, and how it should be treated.

In recent years, the issue of early puberty in girls has become a well-publicized topic. But the messages from the medical establishment and the media have been confusing and often conflicting. Now Dr. Paul Kaplowitz, a pediatric endocrinologist who has treated children for more than twenty years, has written a comprehensive and completely accessible book on the subject-the perfect guide for parents concerned about their daughters' premature development. Inside, they will find the answers to many questions, including

• What are the hormonal and physical changes of normal puberty? Breast development, pubic and underarm hair, body odor, menarche (a girl's first period), and the pubertal growth spurt

• How do we know if puberty is starting too early? The age and circumstances under which a girl can mature too soon; why this is occurring earlier than in the past, and why that age is earlier for African American girls

• What effects does the early onset of puberty have on the behavior and emotional health of young girls? From anxiety and withdrawal to worries about stunted growth, earlier periods, and earlier sexual activity

• Is it because the environment or our fats cells? An in-depth look at the potential culprits: chemicals and hormones in the environment, family relationships, stress, and increasing obesity

• To treat or not to treat? The six essential questions whose answers will determine whether treatment is necessary for your early-maturing daughter

• How should a family prepare for a visit to a specialist? Important tips for getting the most out of a visit to a pediatric endocrinologist

Dr. Kaplowitz also details extensive case histories that will help parents understand the real issues that may appear in girls' lives. Reassuring, authoritative, and thoroughly detailed, Early Puberty in Girls is a must-have book for every parent of a young girl.

Dr. Paul Kaplowitz is a native of Bronx, New York. He attended the University of Michigan for his undergraduate education, and then obtained both his MD and a PhD at the University of Chicago in 1976. He then did his pediatric residency and his pediatric endocrine fellowship at the University of North Carolina. In 1982, he took a faculty position in pediatrics at the Medical College of Virginia (now Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine) in Richmond, VA, where he has been the chief of the Division of Endocrinology since 1996.

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