Published online July 27, 2009
PEDIATRICS Vol. 124 No. 2 August 2009, pp. e269-e277 (doi:10.1542/peds.2008-2638)

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by Ma, H.-M. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ma, H.-M. Related Collections Office Practice Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

ARTICLE

Onset of Breast and Pubic Hair Development and Menses in Urban Chinese Girls

Hua-Mei Ma, MD^a, Min-Lian Du, MD^a, Xiao-Ping Luo, MD^b, Shao-Ke Chen, MM^c, Li Liu, MM^d, Rui-Min Chen, MM^e, Cheng Zhu, MD^f, Feng Xiong, MM^g, Tang Li, MM^h, Wei Wang, MMⁱ, Ge-Li Liu, MM^j on behalf of the Pubertal Study Group of the Society of Pediatric Endocrinology and Genetic Disease, Chinese Medical Association

^a Department of Pediatrics, The First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
^b Department of Pediatrics, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China
^c Department of Pediatrics, Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Nanning, China
^d Division of Endocrinology, GuangZhou Children's Hospital, Guangzhou, China
^e Department of Growth and Development, Fuzhou Children's Hospital, Fuzhou, China
^f Department of Internal Medicine, Beijing Children's Hospital, Affiliate of Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing, China
^g Division of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
^h Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China
ⁱ Department of Pediatrics, Ruijin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
^j Department of Pediatrics, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China

OBJECTIVES: To determine the current prevalence and mean ages of onset of pubertal characteristics in healthy urban Chinese girls.

METHODS: A cross-sectional study of sexual maturation of healthy Chinese girls was conducted in 9 representative cities of the eastern, western, southern, and northern parts and central region of China between 2003 and 2005. At examination, stages of breast and pubic hair development were rated on girls 3 through 19.83 years of age, and height and weight were also recorded. Data on menses were collected by the status quo method. Probit analysis was used to calculate the median age and 95% confidence interval (CI) for onset of breast and pubic hair development and menarche.

RESULTS: Data were analyzed for 20654 apparently healthy girls. At age 8 years, 19.57% of these girls had evidence of breast development. The median ages of onset of Tanner stages 2 and 3 for breast development were 9.20 (95% CI: 9.06–9.32) years and 10.37 (95% CI: 10.28–10.45) years, respectively. The median ages of onset of Tanner stages 2 and 3 for pubic hair development were 11.16 (95% CI: 11.03–11.29) years and 12.40 (95% CI: 12.25–12.55) years, respectively. Menses occurred at 12.27 years (95% CI: 12.16–12.39).

CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that urban Chinese girls are actually experiencing earlier breast development than currently used norms. The up-to-date reference for normal pubertal development in urban Chinese girls needs to be established for the purpose of determining precocious puberty or pubertal delay.

---

Key Words: puberty • menarche • breast • pubic hair • age of onset

Abbreviations: B₂—Tanner stage 2 for breast development • CI—confidence interval

---

Accepted Mar 24, 2009.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Facebook    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				B. Cromer and C. M. Gordon Early Pubertal Development in Chinese Girls Pediatrics, August 1, 2009; 124(2): 799 - 801. [Full Text] [PDF]