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Psychological and behavioral assessments in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty

  • Warisa Uthayo , Hathaichanok Chunin , Khemika K. Sudnawa , Wirongrong Arunyanart and Voraluck Phatarakijnirund ORCID logo EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: November 25, 2024
Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism
From the journal Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology and Metabolism Volume 38 Issue 2

Abstract

Objectives

Idiopathic central precocious puberty (iCPP) is the most common cause of precocious puberty in girls. However, research on the psychological outcomes of iCPP girls is limited. To evaluated the psychological characteristics in iCPP girls in comparison to prepubertal girls throughout the first diagnosis and six-month follow-up period.

Methods

Eighty-five girls, age 6–8 years, and their caregivers were enrolled to the prospective cohort study. Three Thai-standardized questionnaires were used as psychological assessment tools, including Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), Parent Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED) and Parent-Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Results

Forty-six iCPP and 39 prepuberty girls were enrolled at baseline. No significant differences in psychological and behavioral problems between iCPP and prepuberty girls. However, the iCPP group exhibited a significantly higher proportion of “risk and problem” for emotional problems compares to the prepuberty group (7 vs. 0, p=0.01) while the prepuberty group exhibits the significantly proportion of “risk” for peer problems (6 vs. 0, p=0.007). At baseline, twelve percent of iCPP girls exhibited depression and mean CDI score was 8.1 ± 7.2 and 3.7 ± 2.3 (p=0.007) in iCPP and prepuberty group, respectively. At the 6-month follow-up, there was no significant difference in psychological outcomes between two groups.

Conclusions

There were no significant differences in psychological and behavioral problems in iCPP girls compared to prepubertal girls. However, the higher prevalence of emotional problems and depression observed in iCPP girls constitutes significant psychological issues that necessitate close monitoring.

Keywords: sexual precocity; psychological outcome; emotional problems
Corresponding author: Voraluck Phatarakijnirund, MD, Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Department of Pediatrics, Phramongkutklao Hospital and College of Medicine, 315 Ratchawithi Road, Phayathai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand, E-mail:

Funding source: Phramongkutklao College of Medicine

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to all of the participants in this study, our staff in the Division of Endocrinology and Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, the Department of Pediatrics, at Phramongkutklao Hospital for their support of this project.

  1. Research ethics: The study was performed in accordance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki II. The study protocol was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Royal Thai Army Medical Department, approval number R052q/64.

  2. Informed consent: Informed consent was obtained from all individuals included in this study, or their legal guardians or wards.

  3. Author contributions: W.U. and V.P. have contributed substantially to the conception and design of the study, analysis and interpretation of data, drafting and revising of the article. H.C has contributed to the acquisition of data. K.K.S and W.A. have contributed to the conception and design of the study. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. All authors have accepted responsibility for the entire content of this manuscript and approved its submission.

  4. Use of Large Language Models, AI and Machine Learning Tools: None declared.

  5. Conflict of interest: The authors state no conflict of interest.

  6. Research funding: This study was supported by a grant from Phramongkutklao College of Medicine.

  7. Data availability: The raw data can be obtained on request from the corresponding author.

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Supplementary Material

This article contains supplementary material (https://doi.org/10.1515/jpem-2024-0186).

Received: 2024-04-18
Accepted: 2024-10-24
Published Online: 2024-11-25
Published in Print: 2025-02-25

© 2024 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Original Articles
  3. Effects of orlistat on body mass index and serum lipids in overweight and obese adolescents: a meta-analysis
  4. Psychological and behavioral assessments in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty
  5. The effect of phlebotomy and placement of an intravenous catheter on plasma catecholamine and serum copeptin concentrations
  6. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy in children with diverse adrenal pathologies: the impact of pre-operative imaging in decision making process
  7. Short- to medium-term follow-up of normoponderal children and adolescents with subclinical hypothyroidism: a retrospective study of the last 15 years
  8. Newborn screening follow-up in Bavaria: height and weight in paediatric patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  9. Patterns and determinants of serum amylase, lipase concentrations in Indian adolescents and youth with type 1 diabetes
  10. Pediatric Graves’ disease in Argentina: analyzing treatment strategies and outcomes
  11. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus results from a novel in-frame deletion of AVPR2 gene in monozygotic-twin boys and their mother and grandmother
  12. Short Communication
  13. Does clonidine stimulate copeptin in children?
  14. Case Report and Review of the Literature
  15. Sialidosis type 1 in a Turkish family: a case report and review of literatures
  16. Case Reports
  17. Central precocious puberty in a toddler with hypothalamic hamartoma
  18. Autosomally dominantly inherited isolated gonadotropin deficiency via maternal assisted reproduction due to SOX10 mutation
  19. Unclear symptoms, early diagnosis and perfect outcome: a case diagnosed as sepiapterin reductase deficiency hidden behind vitamin B12 deficiency
https://doi.org/10.1515/jpem-2024-0186
Keywords for this article
sexual precocity; psychological outcome; emotional problems

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Original Articles
  3. Effects of orlistat on body mass index and serum lipids in overweight and obese adolescents: a meta-analysis
  4. Psychological and behavioral assessments in girls with idiopathic central precocious puberty
  5. The effect of phlebotomy and placement of an intravenous catheter on plasma catecholamine and serum copeptin concentrations
  6. Laparoscopic adrenalectomy in children with diverse adrenal pathologies: the impact of pre-operative imaging in decision making process
  7. Short- to medium-term follow-up of normoponderal children and adolescents with subclinical hypothyroidism: a retrospective study of the last 15 years
  8. Newborn screening follow-up in Bavaria: height and weight in paediatric patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia
  9. Patterns and determinants of serum amylase, lipase concentrations in Indian adolescents and youth with type 1 diabetes
  10. Pediatric Graves’ disease in Argentina: analyzing treatment strategies and outcomes
  11. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus results from a novel in-frame deletion of AVPR2 gene in monozygotic-twin boys and their mother and grandmother
  12. Short Communication
  13. Does clonidine stimulate copeptin in children?
  14. Case Report and Review of the Literature
  15. Sialidosis type 1 in a Turkish family: a case report and review of literatures
  16. Case Reports
  17. Central precocious puberty in a toddler with hypothalamic hamartoma
  18. Autosomally dominantly inherited isolated gonadotropin deficiency via maternal assisted reproduction due to SOX10 mutation
  19. Unclear symptoms, early diagnosis and perfect outcome: a case diagnosed as sepiapterin reductase deficiency hidden behind vitamin B12 deficiency
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