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.