Puberty in girls normally begins between the ages of 8 and 13. Physical, hormonal, and emotional changes indicate the transition from childhood to adulthood throughout this time.
Girls who show signs of puberty after this age may have late puberty. This can result in being shorter than their peers, delayed menstrual cycles, hormonal abnormalities, and an increased risk of bone problems later in life.
What Are the Signs of Delayed Puberty in Girls?
Delayed puberty in girls is characterized by several general symptoms, including:
Breast development is absent by the age of 13
Breast development is one of the earliest signs of puberty in girls. If there is no development by the time a girl is 13 years old, it may indicate late puberty.
Does not grow pubic hair
Along with breast development, hair growth in the pubic area and armpits indicates puberty. Girls who go through late puberty may not have hair development in the pubic area or armpits.
No menstruation
The first menstruation (menarche) typically occurs 2-3 years after the first signs of puberty. The typical age of first menstruation is approximately 12-13 years. If a girl has not had her first menstrual period by the age of 16, she is experiencing late puberty.
Read more: Haid Or First Menstruation (Menarche), Here's What You Need To Know
Short stature and slow growth rate
Girls typically go through a significant growth spurt during puberty. If girls do not grow to the expected height or appear shorter than their peers, this may indicate late puberty.
Undeveloped uterus
During puberty, the uterus and reproductive organs change significantly in response to increases in sex hormones like estrogen. The changes include an extension in the size of the uterus and changes to the inner layer of the uterus in preparation for a future pregnancy.
If the uterus does not mature at the appropriate age, the child might experience delayed puberty.
Read more: What Are The Psychological Developments Of Teenagers 10-18 Years Old?
The bone age is less than the child's age
Bone ages that are younger than the child's age indicate delayed growth. Bone age was determined using x-rays of the left hand and wrist, and the results were compared to the standard bone age based on the bone development of healthy children.
A younger bone age means that the maturity of their bones is still below what is normal for their age.
Girls may experience delayed puberty for a variety of reasons, including hypothyroidism, eating disorders, excessive physical activity, and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Treating the conditions that lead to delayed puberty requires an awareness of its symptoms.
If your child shows signs that indicate delayed puberty, you can either visit a doctor or make use of the consultation features that are available in the Ai Care application by downloading the Ai Care application from the App Store or Play Store.
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- dr. Alvidiani Agustina Damanik
Kids Health (2023). Delayed Puberty. Available from: https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/delayed-puberty.html
Parang Mehta (2022). What to Know About Delayed Puberty. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/children/what-to-know-delayed-puberty
Cleveland Clinic (2021). Puberty. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22192-puberty
Medline Plus (2022). Delayed puberty in girls. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007694.htm
Health Direct (2023). Puberty for girls. Available from: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/puberty-for-girls
Kids Health (2024). All About Periods. Available from: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/menstruation.html
