The Individual Relationship between Pubertal Growth and Physical Changes of Puberty in Healthy Adolescents

In healthy adolescents, there is significant interindividual variation in the dynamics of pubertal growth and in the timing and progression of physical changes of puberty. Our aim was to explore the relationship between pubertal growth and pubertal maturation through an analysis of data from a longitudinal growth study.

The Edinburgh growth study included healthy children born between 1972 and 1976 with a birth weight of >2.5 kg. Anthropometric measurements and Tanner staging were undertaken twice a year. Total pubertal growth (TPG) was quantified using the QEPS growth model, which generates an individual growth curve from birth length to adult height (AH).

A total of 157 adolescents were included in analysis (89 boys, 68 girls). In girls, later age at reaching all the stages of breast maturation (B2-B5) was correlated with smaller TPG. Correlation coefficient between B3 and TPG was -0.64, p < 0.01. However, there was no correlation with AH (coefficient 0.15, p = 0.24). In boys, later age at reaching the later stages of external genitalia maturation (G4-G5) was correlated with smaller TPG. G4 was negatively correlated with TPG (-0.24, p < 0.04) but not with AH (0.02, p = 0.86).

We found that the magnitude of the pubertal growth spurt was linked with the age at reaching Tanner landmarks of puberty in girls and boys; however, there was no association between the timing of these landmarks and AH. This new knowledge can provide reassurance for healthy children that the normal variation of pubertal timing does not have a significant influence on expected AH.