ESPE Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology

Brief summary: This prospective study, including 380 American girls followed from birth to age 15.5 years between 1991 and 2006, showed the predictive nature of age at onset of puberty for the subsequent progression and duration of pubertal maturation.

Ze’ev Hochberg’s scientific and clinical curiosity is an inspiration for us all. Ze’ev approached the topic of puberty using evolutionary and developmental biology principles, according to which maturational traits respond to environmental factors in order to assure survival and fecundity. This paper illustrates his constant search for clinical insights with a focus on puberty.

Age at onset of puberty is characterized by a wide physiological variability, which is specific to human and non-human primates (1). The authors hypothesized that age at onset of puberty determines pubertal and growth tempo. The study included 380 girls between 1991 and 2006, followed longitudinally through thelarche, pubarche and menarche.

Girls with early pubertal onset (EO; thelarche at mean 9.0±0.1 years) also showed earlier pubarche and menarche than girls with later onset (LO; thelarche at mean 11.0±0.5 years). However, the tempo (duration) of pubertal progression was longer in EOs than in LOs.

This study helps us to understand pubertal tempo and progression, which today represent an extremely frequent cause for referral to our clinics.

Reference: 1. Parent AS, Franssen D, Fudvoye J, Gérard A, Bourguignon JP. Developmental variations in environmental influences including endocrine disruptors on pubertal timing and neuroendocrine control: Revision of human observations and mechanistic insight from rodents. Front Neuroendocrinol. 2015; 38:12–36. PMID: 25592640.