Comparing the predicted final and target height in girls with pubertal onset between 7 and 9.5 years of age

Abstract

Background: One of the main concerns about the early puberty is short final height. In cases comparing the predicted final and target height can help predicting this problem. In this study we compared the target and predicted adult height in girls with early puberty. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out on girls )n=200( with early Puberty. The diagnosis of early puberty in girls was made based upon the onset of secondary sexual characteristics between 7-9.5 years of age. The weight, height, BMI and pubertal stage were determined. Marshall-Tanner method was used for sexual maturation staging. Greulich-Pyle and Bayley-Pinneau methods were also used for bone age determination and prediction of adult height, respectively. Target height was calculated using the Mean of their parental heights minus 6.5. Results: Among the qualified participants (n=200, mean age 8.44±0.72 years) 90 cases (45.5) reffered with thelarche, 17 (8.5) with pubarche and 92 (46) with both thelarche and pubarche. The Mean predicted adult height and target height was156±6.69 and 156±4.3 cm, respectively. The 26 (13) of cases had a predicted adult height lower than 150 cm and 15 (7.5) that of lower than target zone. Conclusions: Although the majority of girls with early puberty have a predicted final adult height proportional to their target height, but some of these girls are at risk of low adult height