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Sexual maturity assessment in Indian children—a study from western India

  • Nikhil Lohiya , Rahul Jahagirdar EMAIL logo , Ruma Deshpande and Ankush Goyal
Published/Copyright: April 13, 2021

Abstract

Objectives

Pubertal assessment is crucial as puberty is the transition from childhood to adulthood. Pubertal assessment, growth, and secular trend in puberty need to be explored further in India. The objectives were to assess Sexual Maturity Rating (SMR) among children and establish normative data of puberty from western India. We also compared age of attainment of various stages of puberty with BMI and secular trend in menarche.

Methods

A cross-sectional observational study was undertaken at a tertiary care pediatric center. The study population were healthy girls and boys between 6 and 18 years. Demographic data was noted. Anthropometry and SMR assessment (Tanner staging) were performed. The age of menarche was noted among the girls and their mothers. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21.

Results

In girls, median age of thelarche, pubarche, and menarche was 9.37 (8.5–10.2), 10.18 (9.87–10.49), and 12.55 years (12.41–12.75) respectively. There was an early appearance of thelarche but menarche was delayed in overweight-obese girls (statistically not significant). Age of menarche showed a shift to left in girls as compared to their mothers (p=0.036). In boys, median age of testicular stage 2 and pubarche was 10.7 (9.9–11.8) and 11.6 years (11.1–12.1) respectively. In overweight-obese boys the pubertal milestones were achieved earlier (statistically not significant).

Conclusions

Normative data on pubertal assessment from western India is presented. Age of menarche shows a shift to left in girls as compared to their mothers. Pubertal milestones were observed at a younger age in overweight obese children which was not significant.


Corresponding author: Dr. Rahul Jahagirdar, Department of Pediatrics, Bharati Vidyapeeth University Medical College, Dhankawadi Pune, Maharashtra, 411043, India, Phone: 020 24375541, Fax: 020 24375541, E-mail:

  1. Research funding: None declared.

  2. Author contributions: All the authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this submitted manuscript and approved submission.

  3. Competing Interests: No funding organizations played a role in the study design; in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the report for publication.

  4. Ethical approval: Institutional ethical committee approval was sought before commencing the study. Written informed consent from parents and assent from children were obtained before their enrolment in the study.

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Received: 2020-11-22
Accepted: 2021-02-18
Published Online: 2021-04-13
Published in Print: 2021-05-26

© 2021 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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