Puberty and Precocious Puberty: For Patients and Consumers

General Information

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 health care providers.
  • Read the ACOG fact sheet "Your Changing Body."  (PDF – 311 KB)

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 Parents and Patients  (PDF – 118 KB)
  • Premature Adrenarche: A Guide for Parents  (PDF – 118 KB)
• 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 the fact sheet on precocious puberty in English (PDF – 919 KB)  or Spanish (PDF – 919 KB) .
• AAP (PDF - 123 KB) 
  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 Research Center for Women and Families 
  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 health care to women.
  • Search the association's physician directory to find a specialist. 
• AAP members are health care 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.
  • Find a community group. 
• CARES Foundation 
  The CARES Foundation focuses on improving the lives of families touched by congenital adrenal hyperplasia and seeks to advance quality health care through support, advocacy, education, and research.
  • Search by state or country for a support group. 

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