Puberty is a natural stage of growth and development when a child’s body starts to change into an adult body. The timeline for when it hits varies among children, but it usually occurs within a specific age range. But in some children, puberty can start earlier or later than expected. Several factors can influence the timing of puberty, including genetics, nutrition intake, overall health, and environmental factors. Long-term illnesses and prolonged steroid use are two important factors that can influence this timing. These can lead to emotional stress in children, who might feel different from their peers, and raise concerns among parents.
In this blog, we are going to discuss long-term illness and steroid use as causes of delayed puberty, how they affect growth and development, and what the preventive measures are.
What Is Normal Puberty Timing?
Before understanding how illness or supplement use affects puberty, it is important to recognize when your child is not growing normally and needs a pediatric endocrinologist consultant for puberty disorders. Most children experience these changes gradually, but the exact timing varies depending on genetics, nutrition, and lifestyle factors.
Girls
For girls, puberty usually starts between the ages of 8 and 13, with the initial signs being breast development, followed by pubic hair growth, and lastly, with the onset of the menstrual cycle.
Boys
For boys, puberty usually starts between the ages of 9 and 14, with the beginning signs being testicular development, pubic hair growth, a change in voice, and sudden growth spurts.
Long-term Illness and Puberty
One of the reasons why puberty time changes can be because of chronic or long-term illness. When a child’s body is constantly under stress from illness, the body may prioritize survival over growth and sexual development. Ways in which illness can hamper physical growth are:
Reduced Energy for Growth
Chronic conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease or diabetes can reduce energy levels and nutrient absorption in a child’s body, which can lead to not enough energy and nutrients left to support growth and sexual development, hence delaying the onset of puberty.
Hormonal Imbalance
Long-term diseases can disrupt hormones that are essential to trigger puberty, such as estrogen, testosterone, and thyroid. This may result in slower growth and development of sexual characteristics like breast development in girls or testicular growth in boys.
Poor Nutrition Intake
Appetite and digestion are impacted in children with chronic illness, which can lead to improper or insufficient fulfillment of the nutritional requirements of the body. Deficiency of protein, zinc, or vitamin D can postpone puberty, delay growth spurts, and slow down bone growth.
Emotional Distress
Living with an illness for a long time can lead to an increase in stress levels in a child. Emotional stress is a trigger for a hormone release called cortisol, which can interfere with the brain signals that control puberty, which may increase the risk of delay in the onset of puberty.
Steroid Use and Puberty
Steroids are powerful medications that are used to treat a variety of conditions, from asthma to organ transplants. While effective for the required condition, long-term use of steroids can interfere with puberty timings, causing early or delayed puberty.
Direct Hormonal Impact
Steroids work by acting like certain natural hormones in the body, so when a child takes these medications for a long period of time, it can slow down the brain’s hormone control system, which is responsible for starting puberty, leading to a delay in physical changes.
Affect on Growth
Steroids can impact bone formation, which leads to slow growth in height. Children who are on steroids for months or for years may experience shorter stature than expected without any genetic relation, as well as a delay in the onset of puberty.
Change in Weight
Steroids also have an effect on the weight of the body, which eventually affects the timing of puberty differently in boys and girls. At times, excess body fat may speed up puberty in girls but can delay puberty in boys. Fluctuating weight directly impacts hormonal balance.
Duration and Dosage
Though steroid use is not an obstacle to growth when taken in small doses for a short time. But the longer a child takes steroids, the higher the dose, the more likely it is that puberty will be affected. Short-term and low does does not cause significant delays.
Common Signs of Puberty Delay
Recognizing the signs of delayed puberty early is equally important as getting the right medical treatment. The common signs that parents should be aware of that point towards puberty delay are:
Girls
- No breast development by the age of 13
- No sign of menstruation by the age of 15
Boys
- No testicular enlargement by the age of 14
- Little or no growth of pubic hair by the age of 15
Both
- Slow rate of growth
- Short stature compared to their peers
- No sign of a growth spurt
If you notice any of these signs appear, you can consult Dr Ashish Malpani, who can evaluate the reason behind your child’s delayed growth.
Final Thoughts: Awareness Is Important For Normal Growth
Puberty is a sensitive process that can be affected by a range of factors, including health, nutrition, and medications. Long-term illness and use of steroids can delay the timing of puberty by affecting hormones, growth, and sexual development. Awareness and consistent monitoring are important to get timely treatment and get the situation under control before it gets more serious.
You can visit the best pediatric endocrinologist in Dubai if you are noticing the signs of puberty delay in your child, to get proper guidance and care.