Puberty brings both joy and confusion

Puberty brings both joy and confusion

By Donya Betancourt

SANUR, Bali (JP): Adolescence is a bridge between childhood
and adulthood. However, parents sometimes are not aware of normal
development issues in adolescence. One thing that has to be
remembered is your teenager is not self-reliant and in fact is
just trying to create their own adult identity.

So today's article is about changes during puberty. This
period is the rapid onset of biological and psychological growth
and development prior to the second decade of life and it will
end before the age of 20.

This period is a time of joy and confusion. Physical changes
take two to four years of rapid growth and development of the
reproductive function. Girls begin their development at the
average age of 10 and have their first period at about 12 and a
half. Boys start puberty two years later than the average girl.

Timing of pubertal changes is influenced by genes, nutrition
and general health. If pubertal development is before eight years
of age for girls and ten years of age in boys, it should be
discussed with your child's physician. What happens to the
physical changes is a hormonal effect.

There are five stages of pubertal development in adolescence
referred to as "sexual maturation ratings" or "Tanner staging".
Your child's doctor will examine your teenager to determine the
developmental sequence.

Girls

The average girl who starts puberty at age 10 begins to grow
at a rate of 7.5 centimeters to 10 cm. each year from 2.5 cm. to
4 cm. a year when she was seven or eight year. Her appetite will
also increase significantly and she gains between 4 kilograms to
5 kg. a year instead of 1 kg. to 2 kg.

At the same time breasts begin to develop. The first thing is
a hard lump under the nipple and occasionally one breast begins
to develop months before the other. Then the whole breast begins
to take shape, it has a conical shape for the first year then it
rounds out into more of a hemisphere when her first menstruation
period nears. Soon after the breasts develop, the pubic hair
starts to grow. Later hair appears in the armpits, the hips widen
and the skin texture changes. At around twelve and a half, girls
have their first menstrual period called "menarche". By now their
height gain is an average 9 cm. to 10 cm. a year and should reach
final adult height at 16 years of age.

In many girls, the first year or two of menstrual periods are
irregular and infrequent which is from the developmental maturity
of glands. The fact is, each girl is different. Some are faster
and some are slower. The one who is slower needs to be reassured
that she will grow and develop just as the other girls. But if
any girl has been fully develop for over two years or is over 16
years old and has not had her first period, she should be
evaluate by her doctor.

Boys

Now for boys, they usually begin two years later than girls,
age twelve. Same as girls, the growth spurt in height is double
the rate as before. The testicles begin to grow first then pubic
hair grows and finally the penis begins to increases, first in
length and then in diameter. Later comes hair in the armpits and
on the face. Then the voice cracks and deepens.

Different from girls, boys will continue to grow more slowly
and stop at around age 18, some will continue to grow until their
early twenties. Boys, who are 14 years old and still don't show
any signs of a grown man, need reassurance.

Some parents take their son to get growth hormone treatment,
which only convinces him that something is "really" wrong with
him. However, before giving any hormone to a boy or girl, a
pediatric endocrinologist (hormonal specialist) should be
consulted. Body odor is one of the earliest changes of
adolescence especially in the armpits and can cause unpopularity
with schoolmates. Daily washing with soap or regular use of
deodorant will control the odor.

In summation, puberty is the only real change in life that
both sexes experience at the same time. It is full of joy and
wonderment and also offers the opportunity for great self esteem
or insecurity. As parents we can help our children through this
confusing time with reassurance, love and acceptance.

The writer is a pediatrician based in Sanur, Bali. If you
have any questions, please feel free to write to her. Her e-mail
address is drdonya@hotmail.com, or you can reach her through
features@thejakartapost.com.