Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 29, 2025

Determination of Reproductive Competence by Confirming Pubertal Onset and Performing a Fertility Assay in Mice and Rats
06:38

Determination of Reproductive Competence by Confirming Pubertal Onset and Performing a Fertility Assay in Mice and Rats

Published on: October 13, 2018

15.9K

Pubarche and Gonadarche Onset and Progression Are Differently Associated With Birth Weight and Infancy Growth

Christine Wohlfahrt-Veje1,2, Jeanette Tinggaard1,2, Anders Juul1,2

  • 1Department of Growth and Reproduction and EDMaRC, Copenhagen University Hospital-Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark.

Journal of the Endocrine Society
|July 12, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Higher birth weight and catch-up growth influence puberty timing. These early life factors affect both sexes, impacting the onset and progression of pubertal milestones differently.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric endocrinology
  • Human growth and development
  • Reproductive health

Background:

  • Early-life growth patterns are debated for their association with puberty timing.
  • Understanding these links is crucial for pediatric health and development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate associations between birth anthropometry and early growth patterns with pubertal onset and progression.
  • To analyze these relationships in both boys and girls.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a mother-child cohort with data from birth to adolescence (1997-2013).
  • Assessed pubertal Tanner stages and testicular volume by trained physicians.
  • Employed parametric survival models to analyze birth weight, growth changes (catch-up growth), and pubertal timing.

Main Results:

  • Higher birth weight correlated with earlier thelarche, gonadarche, and testicular volume, but later pubarche and slower progression to menarche in girls.
  • Catch-up growth was linked to earlier pubarche in both sexes and faster progression to menarche in girls.
  • Boys showed earlier gonadarche and testicular volume but later pubarche and later attainment of advanced pubertal stages.

Conclusions:

  • Birth weight and catch-up growth have differential associations with gonadarche and pubarche.
  • The impact on early versus late pubertal markers varied, with similar patterns observed in both sexes.
Abstract

Keywords:
catch-up growthgonadarchemenarchepubertythelarche

More Related Videos

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study09:36

Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study

Published on: February 2, 2017

27.4K
Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse POP Quantification System03:49

Anogenital Distance and Perineal Measurements of the Pelvic Organ Prolapse POP Quantification System

Published on: September 20, 2018

19.8K

Related Concept Videos

Signs of Puberty01:27

Signs of Puberty

Puberty is a critical phase, typically beginning between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys, though timing can vary based on genetics, environmental factors, and overall health. This period is characterized by the development of secondary sexual characteristics and the attainment of reproductive potential. Endocrine changes underpin puberty, with hormonal surges of Luteinizing Hormone (LH) and Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) instigated by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH)...
805
Nature and Nurture01:10

Nature and Nurture

Many human characteristics, like height, are shaped by both nature—in other words, by our genes—and by nurture, or our environment. For example, chronic stress during childhood inhibits the production of growth hormones and consequently reduces bone growth and height. Scientists estimate that 70-90% of variation in height is due to genetic differences among individuals, and 10-30% of variation in height is due to differences in the environments that individuals experience,...
21.2K
Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age01:09

Changes in the Appendicular Skeleton with Age

The upper and lower limb initially develops as a small bulge called a limb bud, which appears on the lateral side of the early embryo. The upper limb bud appears near the end of the fourth week of development, with the lower limb bud appearing shortly after.
Initially, the limb buds consist of a core of mesenchyme covered by a layer of ectoderm. The ectoderm at the end of the limb bud thickens to form a narrow crest called the apical ectodermal ridge. This ridge stimulates the underlying...
3.0K
Psychosexual Theory of Development01:14

Psychosexual Theory of Development

Sigmund Freud's psychosexual theory of development suggests that early childhood experiences significantly shape personality and behavior. Freud proposed that development is discontinuous, occurring in five distinct stages, each defined by a focus on different erogenous zones. He believed that failure to resolve the conflicts specific to each stage successfully could result in fixation, potentially influencing behavior as adults.
The Five Stages of Psychosexual Development
Freud's psychosexual...
1.1K
Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Latency01:16

Psychosexual Stages of Personality: Latency

Following the phallic stage in Freud's theory of psychosexual development, children enter a phase called the latency period, which lasts from approximately six to twelve years of age. Unlike earlier stages, where sexual impulses played a central role, Freud believed these impulses are repressed during the latency period, becoming part of the unconscious. This stage is often described as a time of psychological calm after the turbulence of the phallic stage.
The latency period is not...
833
Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue01:27

Growth of Cartilage and Bone Tissue

Chondrocytes form a temporary cartilaginous model by dividing and secreting a thick gel-like extracellular matrix. Once the chondrocytes undergo programmed cell death, osteoblasts enter the site of the cartilaginous model. The process of replacing the temporary cartilaginous model with bone in an ordered manner is called endochondral ossification. In endochondral ossification, not all of the cartilage is replaced by bone tissue. Some cartilage that performs a protective and supportive function...
3.7K