Citation

Cesario SK, Hughes LA. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Neonatal Nurs. 2007; 36(3): 263-274.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1552-6909.2007.00145.x

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Context:  Precocious puberty currently affects 1 in 5,000 children and is 10 times more common in girls. Statistics indicate that girls in the United States are maturing at an earlier age than they did 30 years ago and the number of girls with diagnosed precocious puberty (the appearance of secondary sex characteristics before 8 years of age or the onset of menarche before age 9) is on the rise. A summary of the growing body of literature on this topic is necessary to inform nurses and other health care providers of the current trends and incidence of precocious puberty to better meet the physical and psychosocial needs of these girls and their families.