Treatment for Central Precocious Puberty
Based on results from your visit and the tests, the doctor can tell whether your child has "true" central precocious puberty or "secondary" central precocious puberty – that is, if something other than the pituitary gland is causing the signs of puberty. For "secondary" central precocious puberty, the underlying problem can be diagnosed and treated. If your child has "true" central precocious puberty, meaning the early puberty is not caused by something else, then your doctor will recommend treatment.
Modern treatments for central precocious puberty are designed to tell the pituitary gland to ignore the GnRH signal. This ultimately decreases the production of sex steroids. Treatment for central precocious puberty is generally provided using a medicine called a GnRH agonist. The hypothalamus sends a GnRH signal to the pituitary gland, which starts puberty. A GnRH agonist tells the pituitary gland to ignore that signal, which stops central precocious puberty.
Without the GnRH signal, the pituitary gland stops sending hormones to the ovaries or testes. In turn, the ovaries and testes stop making sex hormones. Bone maturation also slows down. This helps your child reach his or her predicted adult height.
Treating central precocious puberty is an urgent matter. The main objectives of treatment are:
- To inhibit pubertal development
- To stop and possibly reverse the progression of secondary sex characteristics
- To prevent early menstruation (in girls) and early sexual activity
- To slow bone growth
- To improve final adult height
- To improve psychosocial and emotional well-being
Central Precocious Puberty Treatment Options
There are three FDA-approved GnRH agonist therapies:
- Daily or monthly injection: Injection therapy may be given as frequently as once a day or once a month on a regular monthly schedule
- Multiple-times-daily nasal spray: This therapy must be administered either two or three times a day. Each dose consists of two or three sprays per nostril, for a total of eight to nine sprays each day
- Once-yearly implant: A small implant that continually releases the medicine for a full year. The implant is placed in a child's upper inner arm just under the skin by a qualified healthcare professional
The sooner your child receives treatment for central precocious puberty the better. When selecting a treatment option, it is important to consider how each works and how it can affect your child. Like with any medication, side effects do exist with central precocious puberty treatments and it is important to talk to your doctor to determine the best treatment for your child.
The cost of medication varies depending on type and length of treatment and your insurance carrier. Some pharmaceutical companies offer reimbursement payment programs, so contact your insurance carrier for more details.