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A Parent’s Guide to Early Puberty
Puberty is a time in every young human’s life that is full of body changes and a milestone to becoming an adult. During this stage of life, young people develop breasts, larger testes, and their bodies grow faster than at any time in their life since babyhood.
Puberty normally begins around ages 8 and 13 for girls and 9 and 15 for boys. I’m sure all the readers of this article can remember that time when they developed pimples, hair where none used to grow and became moody.
The Normal Triggers of Puberty
The normal trigger for puberty happens when the hypothalamus, found deep inside our brain stimulates the pituitary gland to send out hormones. These hormones begin the changes we see in our bodies during this time.
The hormones travel to various parts of the body depending on your sex. For boys, the hormones tell the testes and scrotum to begin making testosterone. This allows the boy's sperm to begin to be produced and to mature.
In girls, these hormones stimulate the ovaries and cause them to begin making estrogen. This hormone allows the girl’s eggs, which she has had since birth, to mature…
