Earlier Onset of Pubertal Maturation in Thai Girls
PAT MAHACHOKLERTWATTANA, M.D.*, UMAPORN SUTHUTVORA VUT, M.D.*, SOMSRI CHAROENKIATKUL, Ph.D.****, NALINEE CHONGVIRIYAPHAN, M.D*, NIPA ROJROONGW ASINKUL, Ph.D.****, AMMARIN THAKKINSTIAN, M.Med.Stat. ***, RAJATA RAJATANAVIN,M.D.**
Affiliation : * Department of Pediatrics, ** Department of Medicine, *** Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, **** Nutrition Research Institute, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
Objectives : To identify the onset of puberty, menarche and pubarche in female children and adolescents in 2 Bangkok schools.
Method : Three hundred school girls aged 9-19 years were enrolled in the study. Data were collected from January 1997 through December 1999. Assessment of pubertal staging by Tanner's criteria was performed by a trained pediatrician. All were in good physical health and had normal height and weight. The median ages of thelarche, menarche and pubarche were estimated by probit analysis. All other parameters were expressed as mean ± SD.
Results : The median ages of thelarche and pubarche were 9.4 and 11.1 years, respectively. Two hundred and twenty one girls had experienced menstruation. The median age of menarche was 11.2 years, whereas, the mean age was 12.1 years. Most girls reached near final adult height after 14 years old.
Conclusion : The secular trend in decline of the ages of thelarche (or puberty) and menarche was observed in Bangkok girls. Further study in a larger population including a younger age group is required to define the current reference interval of onset of puberty.
Keywords : Pubertal Maturation, Menarche, Pubarche, Adrenarche, Thelarche
