Puberty and Precocious Puberty Resources

Normal Puberty

• Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES)
  PES is a professional society that serves pediatric endocrinologists and their patients. The Society's website has information on growth and puberty for patients and their families.
• MedlinePlus: Puberty
  The National Library of Medicine (NLM) MedlinePlus webpage on puberty includes general information and links to additional resources about specific conditions, diagnostic tests, and ongoing research.
• American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
  The AAP maintains information about various stages of childhood growth and development, including puberty.
  • Find out more about characteristic changes in boys and in girls at the various stages.
  • Read more about the changes that young girls and boys experience.
• American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
  Information about changes during puberty for teenage girls is available from ACOG, a membership organization of women's healthcare providers.
  • Read the ACOG fact sheet "Your Changing Body."

Precocious Puberty

• NLM: Precocious Puberty
  A brief overview of precocious puberty for parents, including information about related disorders, is available from the NLM.
• PES Educational Materials
  PES provides information on signs, causes, diagnosis, and treatment of precocious puberty. It also provides an overview of premature adrenarche, which is commonly diagnosed in children who have signs of precocious puberty.
  • Precocious Puberty: A Guide for Families
  • Premature Adrenarche: A Guide for Parents
• Hormone Health Network
  The Hormone Foundation maintains information for parents and others about various conditions affected by the balance and function of hormones in the body. Read about precocious puberty .
• A helpful overview of the topic of precocious puberty is available from the AAP. The academy also has reported on a trend among girls toward a younger onset of puberty.
  • Read "When Puberty Starts Early."
  • Read a brief overview of a study documenting the trend in younger onset of puberty.
• Society for Endocrinology
  The Society for Endocrinology's You & Your Hormones site provides answers to common questions about the causes, diagnosis, and treatment of precocious puberty.
• National Center for Health Research
  The center is a nongovernment organization that advocates for public health and safety and provides information based on research findings about health and development.
  • Early Puberty & Problems in Sexual Development

Organizations, Support, and Services

Finding an Endocrinologist

• Endocrinologists are doctors with expertise in the production, function, and balance of hormones in the body throughout the life cycle. These doctors specialize in diagnosing and treating disorders of glands that produce hormones, such as the thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, pancreas, pituitary gland, hypothalamus, ovaries, testes, and adrenal glands. The Hormone Health Network maintains information about the types of expertise these specialists can provide.
  • Read more about endocrinologists and the endocrine system.
  • Find an endocrinologist by ZIP code in the Endocrine Society directory.
• ACOG is an association of obstetricians, gynecologists, and other health professionals who provide healthcare to women.
  • Search the association's physician directory to find a specialist.
• AAP members are healthcare providers devoted to the health of children.
  • Find a pediatrician by ZIP code.

Joining a Support Group

• The MAGIC Foundation
  In addition to general information about a wide variety of critical and/or chronic disorders, syndromes, or diseases that affect a child's growth, the MAGIC Foundation offers opportunities to participate in online chat groups and parent education sessions.

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.

• The Endocrine Society
  This organization offers information about basic and applied research in endocrinology, awards and grants, and opportunities for discussion with colleagues.
  • Endocrine Society Awards/Support
  • Education and Training
• Pediatric Endocrine Society
  This organization publishes an open access journal, organizes regular meetings, keeps a listing of newsgroups and listservs for healthcare professionals, and maintains a database of clinical studies in pediatric endocrinology.
• The MAGIC Foundation
  The foundation offers educational programs for school nurses and other healthcare professionals.
• Society for Endocrinology
  This British society offers information for professionals through dedicated portals for science, clinical practice, and careers and for endocrine nurses and young endocrinologists. Access the society's resources for professionals.
• American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG)
  ACOG issues clinical practice guidelines on topics including the start of menstruation, primary ovarian insufficiency in adolescents, and a girl's first reproductive health visit. Find these guidelines online.
• American Academy of Pediatrics
  The Academy's Committee on Adolescence is concerned with the health needs of adolescents. Review committee statements and other professional resources.
• The following is a list of selected articles from the professional literature about puberty and precocious puberty:
  • Examination of puberty-timing data from 1940 to 1994 for secular trends: Panel findings
  • Idiopathic central precocious puberty in girls: Presentation factors
  • Pathogenesis and epidemiology of precocious puberty: Effects of exogenous oestrogens (PDF 147 KB) 
  • The NIH experience with precocious puberty: Diagnostic subgroups and response to short-term luteinizing hormone releasing hormone analogue therapy
  • Precocious puberty in girls: Early diagnosis of a slowly progressing variant
  • Precocious puberty: A comprehensive review of literature
  • Psychological aspects of precocious puberty. An overview
• Access clinical information about precocious puberty.
• Review slides presenting a scientific and clinical overview of precocious puberty.  (PDF 338 KB)

Please note: Links to organizations and information included on this page do not indicate endorsement from NICHD, NIH, or HHS.