Puberty or Just a Growth Spurt? The Questions I Wish I Had Asked
- Jauné
- Mar 19
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 1
The Questions I Wish I'd Asked
Looking back, I wish I had known to ask better questions—or any questions at all. But I was clueless. I didn’t even know what could be done, let alone what the right questions were.
What Is Precocious Puberty?
Precocious puberty happens when a child's body starts developing earlier than expected. Sounds simple, right? Not so much.
My kids are of mixed heritage, and their doctor once mentioned that children with similar backgrounds tend to develop faster than white children. My eldest didn’t hit puberty early, but my younger daughter did. When I asked why, that was the explanation I got. I read up on it, and sure enough, it seemed true. But what I didn’t know was the difference between normal rapid development and abnormal rapid development.
To her credit, the doctor reassured me: “She hasn’t developed breast buds yet, so it’s just a little extra baby fat.” But I wish I had thought to look up what normal development actually looks like. (If you're reading this and wondering—Google it. Now.)
Another red flag? Body odor. It can signal that hormones are kicking into overdrive. Had I have known, I would have asked for a checkup long before her annual visit.
Surprise, Surprise
At her next annual checkup, the doctor took one look at my daughter and said, “Yeah, we need a bone-age test. She’s developing too quickly.”
Wait—what? She had been seeing my daughter all year! Why hadn’t she noticed this before? Then it hit me: she wasn’t looking for it because I hadn’t given her a reason to. My ignorance let it go unchecked.
The bone age test came back four years ahead of her actual age. That same day, my husband found a specialist, and we had an appointment the next morning. The endocrinologist was two hours away, but I didn’t hesitate. She ran three tests:
Bloodwork for the pituitary gland
Bloodwork for the adrenal gland
Additional tests to check for anything unusual
Puberty 101 (or "What I Learned the Hard Way")
I’m no doctor, but here’s the crash course:
Pituitary Gland – The conductor of the puberty orchestra, releasing hormones that trigger breast development, pubic hair, and other changes. The sneaky part? These hormones fluctuate, so testing can be hit-or-miss.
Adrenal Glands – These can start producing male-type hormones (androgens) too early, causing body odor, acne, and pubic hair. And yes, my daughter started needing deodorant, but I didn’t think much of it. Work hard, play harder = stinky pits, right?
Ovaries (for females) – Once developed, they start releasing estrogen, which kicks everything into high gear.
The endocrinologist suggested randomized blood tests to see which hormones were active. But here’s the problem—hormones work in pulses, meaning one test might catch them, and another might not. Every test we did came back “normal,” meaning no action was needed.
So I asked:
Is there a way to find out what triggered this and if it will happen again?
Answer: We don’t know. Could be a lot of things, but at least the hormones aren't active now.
What’s the next step to stop it?
Answer: We don’t have to worry about that yet because they’re not active right now.
How else can we track her development?
Answer: Keep testing and hope we catch it.
Excuse me? Hope? That’s not a medical strategy. That’s a gamble.
Finding a Second Opinion
Because I can be rather impulsive (and by impulsive, I mean determined), I booked an appointment with another endocrinologist before I even left the parking lot. Since it was scheduled further out, I kept my follow-up with the first doctor just in case she caught something.
Thank goodness I didn’t wait.
The second endocrinologist had a plan:
✔ Scheduled Blood Test (GnRH Test) – Instead of playing hormone roulette, we’d time the test to get more reliable results. We'll post resources later for additional details (or Google), but part of this blood work is to see if a tumor can be detected, which seems thorough.
✔ Pelvic Ultrasound – To check if her ovaries were gearing up for menstruation.
✔ MRI – To rule out any issues with the pituitary gland (any pituitary adenomas, which can necessitate transsphenoidal surgery).
✔ Hormone Blockers – If she was heading into a cycle.
GnRH Test: The Science-y Stuff
I won’t pretend to be an expert, but here’s what I’ve gathered:
This test checks how the body reacts to GnRH, a hormone that tells the brain to release LH and FSH (which control puberty and reproduction—just go with it!). If LH and FSH stay lower than in a pubertal individual, that’s actually a good thing in some cases—like preventing puberty from starting too soon.
First Day – Preliminary Bloodwork: The process started with a scheduled blood draw performed by a phlebotomist. We had the option of two separate needle sticks or placing an IV line. I chose the IV line, reasoning that if Artsy could tolerate it, she’d avoid multiple pricks. If not, she’d end up with two sticks anyway.
They first took her vitals, inserted the IV, collected the initial blood sample, and administered a shot. Then, we had to wait an hour—staying close by to avoid restarting the process. After the hour, they did another blood draw, and we were done for the day.
Second Day – Final Blood Draw: The next step required a blood draw within a 20 to 24-hour window. Compared to the first day, this part was a breeze.
What It Helps Diagnose:
Early or delayed puberty – to check if puberty is happening too soon or too late.
Hormone problems – to see if the brain is sending the right signals to control growth and reproduction.
Two Doctors, Two Approaches
The difference between these two specialists?
One treated my daughter like a checklist.
The other treated her like a patient.
We weren’t waiting and hoping. We were being proactive.
What I Wish I Had Known
If you notice changes, ask the pediatrician—and ask every time. Whether you're bringing them in for a flu shot or just accompanying another child, say:
"Hey, Doc, can you take a peek at this? It looks different."
You lose nothing by asking, but you lose valuable time if you don’t.
What I didn’t mention earlier were the other clues:
Emotional outbursts – Crying for no reason.
Extra affection – Like, cling-to-my-leg levels of cuddly.
Stomach pain – Which, in hindsight, might have been her body getting ready to produce eggs.
For our kids who can’t speak for themselves, we have to speak up for them.
Now, we know what can be done. We have some background on what’s going on. And most importantly—we don’t have to settle for a casino experience.
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