Treatment

The primary goal of treatment is to enable your child to grow to a normal adult height.

Treatment for precocious puberty depends on the cause. However, in some cases, there is no identifiable cause for precocious puberty. In this instance, your child may not need treatment depending on his or her age and how rapidly puberty is progressing. Your child's doctor may want to monitor your child for several months to see how he or she is developing.

Treating central precocious puberty

Most children with central precocious puberty, in which there's no underlying medical condition, can be effectively treated with medication. This treatment, called GnRH analogue therapy, usually includes a monthly injection of a medication, such as leuprolide acetate (Lupron Depot), or triptorelin (Trelstar, Triptodur Kit), which delays further development. Some newer formulations can be given at longer intervals.

The child continues to receive this medication until he or she reaches the normal age of puberty. On average, 16 months after he or she stops receiving the medication, the process of puberty begins again.

Another treatment option for central precocious puberty is a histrelin implant (Supprelin LA), which lasts for up to a year. This treatment is effective for central precocious puberty without the pain and inconvenience of regular injections, but it does require a minor surgical procedure. The implant is placed under your child's skin through an incision in the inner area of the upper arm. After a year, the implant is removed and, if necessary, replaced with a new implant.

Treating an underlying medical condition

If another medical condition is causing your child's precocious puberty, treatment of that condition is necessary to stop the progress of puberty. For example, if a child has a tumor that's producing hormones and causing precocious puberty, puberty usually will stop when the tumor is surgically removed.