My 7 year old already has HAIR on her privates. On the top "mound" part. Dark curly little hairs. Not fuzz. I'm blown away! When I was growing up I never knew ANY girlfriends growing hair before 12!! Should I take her to the doctor??

Yes, some girls get hair that early. Doesn't the hair grow before menstruation starts? It's sad that I can't remember... Myself anyway.

My youngest started pubic hair growth around 11, then started menstruating at 13. She has a friend that's 9 and has had her period for a year. Her cousin is 14, has no hair or periods, and is active in 3 different sports.

Take her to the doctor for a regular check-up and discuss your concerns at the visit.

The percentage of body fat is a factor in determining when menses begins. That and heredity. When I was in high school, not one girl had belly fat. Except the super big girls. What's different? Junk food is eaten more these days. I think the blue screen (TV and computer) may have something to do with early development if only to contribute to accumulated fat due to being sedentary. Of course, when I was in high school there weren't any computer games or cell phones...

I think 7 years old is a normal time for pubic hair growth. I had pubic hair when I was 7 years old too. I went through puberty early and had my period by age 10.

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Originally Posted by simoneaugie

What's different? Junk food is eaten more these days. I think the blue screen (TV and computer) may have something to do with early development if only to contribute to accumulated fat due to being sedentary. Of course, when I was in high school there weren't any computer games or cell phones...

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I agree, plus who know how additives in foods are affecting us? Every now and then I read articles about the shots given to animals like turkeys and chickens and cattle and pigs to cause them to produce more meat. Those chemicals are still in the meat when we eat it, so who knows what they are doing to us. When I was a kid, there were fewer than ten kinds of cereal on grocery shelves (Wheaties, Cheerios, oatmeal, Rice Crispies, Chex, Raisin Bran, Shredded Wheat). Snacks and soda were allowed MAYBE in the evening while watching a variety show or "I Love Lucy." Desserts were homemade (and one helping); "store cookies" were too expensive to buy (and there weren't many kinds of them -- Oreos, vanilla wafers, sugar wafers, graham crackers that my mom put homemade chocolate frosting in between).

Yes, definitely our current food choices, eating habits, and what is in our food contribute to earlier puberty. I'm sure I could dig up medical research on it too.

Actually, I remember my bio teacher saying saying that going through puberty at an early age is usually a result of good nutrition. I don't know if it's exactly true, but I know I ate my peas back then. :) People usually get hair down there before they get their period. Either way, genetics and hormones play a part in this too.

OK so I took her to the doctor, and although most of you said its normal, the doctor is concerned and is testing her hormone levels, getting a bone age scan done and a pelivc ultrasound, because it can be unsafe for a girl that young to start puberty. If any of her results come back abnormal, the doctor is going to send her to an endo.

But good news, she isn't growing breasts yet. Doc said she didn't feel any buds or growth tissue, so she is just chubby. (but she assured me that aylas weight and height are just fine, she just has some extra chubbs)

thank you all for the advice and support. We were in Phoenix children's hospital for the last 2 days (for seizure activity unrelated to this problem) and they were willing to call the endocrinologist in to see her and he did an x-ray of her wrist. He said that her bone growth is right where it should be, and unless her blood tests come back abnormal (which he doubts they will anyway) then he doesn't feel any further testing is needed and feels that its not puberty so much as simple excess hairiness due to her ethnicity (she is italian and filipino) he told me to watch for breast growth or any other body changes (discharge, spotting or periods) and he feels confident that she is fine.

yay LOL my 7 year old isn't going through puberty. She is just hairy :P

Has the hormone testing come back yet? I was thinking precocious puberty myself.

Hopefully it is just due to ethnicity.

No the blood work hasn't come back yet. If they don't call by the end of today I'm going to call them and the morning. That's what I was thnking too. Just because the hairier ethnicitys I know of have hairy faces, backs, arms, legs, but not privates. At least to my knowledge