# I think my 8yo dd started her period



## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

is this even possible? She's 8 1/2 years old, thin as a rail, and she's spotting. Please help!!!!


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## LadyWulf (Aug 11, 2004)

Yes it is VERY possible. I started mine the day before my 9th birthday. It was mainly just spotting that time. Had another one a couple months later that was a little heavier. My periods didn't actually regulate for another couple years though.


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## gretasmommy (Aug 11, 2002)

Yes, it is possible, but if your DD is really thin it is unlikely. Women need a fair amount of body fat to be able to produce the necessary levels of hormones to menstruate. In general, that occurs at roughly 100# . . . average. If she weighs less than that, it is almost impossible for her to be menstruating. This weight is just an approximation for the average height young lady (5'1'' to 5'4'' when menstruation begins). The taller you are the more you need to weigh.

Does she possibly have a UTI? Constipated? Either of these things can cause spotting on her undies . . . .


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

So, how would you go about determining if it was the "real thing"?


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## gretasmommy (Aug 11, 2002)

Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to begin by looking. If you looked and could see where the blood was coming from, you would have your answer. IF the bleeding has stopped or you cannot see where it is coming from, you could wait until she urinates and/or has a bm and stay with her as she wipes to see which area the blood is coming from . . . .

Or, you could take her to her doc, if she has one, and ask a few questions . . .

When moms and young girls (or even some teens) come in uncertain about where spotting is coming from, this is my approach. Usually I have already established a good relationship with the young girl and have no problems with her allowing me to examine her. If I were in the situation where she was frightened and I was unable to reassure her, then I see no reason to push things. Just watch and see what her body does (how long the bleeding lasts, when it returns, how heavy it gets . . . . ) The pattern may give you the answer, and there is no harm in waiting things out.


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## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

Ok, I got interurpted during my first post.
Last night she was cramping, we though she had gas cramps, she had a touch of diareah.
She woke me up this morning because there were little swirls of blood in the toilet when she went pee. And there was a bit on the toilet paper when she wiped.
I had her use a baby wipe to clean herself up with so that I could examine her for cuts, I couldn't find any cuts or abrasions anywhere.
So we put an ultra thing maxi pad on her (If this is really it it's time to sew up some flannel pads) and an hour later there were about 4 spots of blood on it.
I had her clean herself with a baby wipe again before she went pee the next time, and there was pink on the wipe, but NO blood in the toilet this time. So I don't think the blood is in her urine, and the toilet paper had a pink tinge on it again....
She is 8 years old, approximately 4ft 10 inches tall, and she weighs 73lbs dripping wet. She has abs you could bounce a quarter off of and is VERY athletic. I started just before turning 11 years old, but was a tad chubby. For about 6 months now she's been getting a couple of pimples here and there as well.

-Heather


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

I would be so freaked out! It sounds like you are doing just great. I'd probably try to get her into a doctor she feels comfortable w/ASAP.

Good luck!


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## BohoMama (Jun 26, 2003)

My best friend in high school's little sister began menstruating when she was 5 years old. The doctor advised her parents to stop feeding her all beef and dairy products, on account of the high levels of growth and "maturity" hormones in them. (I don't think organics were an option then - at least I hadn't heard of them.) The parents changed her diet and her menstruation ceased until she reached a more normal age.


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## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

We eat minscule amounts and meat and dairy, always organic. She does eat meat and dairy at her father's house two weekends a month though, but the meat is usually chicken, and even then it's not in large amounts. I understand what you're saying though. Honestly, she's almost vegetarian. She eats maybe an ounce or two of meat a week at home, and most often that is in the form of a tuna sandwich. She just doesn't care for the texture. My aunts children are both pudgy, and they eat gross amounts of dairy, they go through a gallon of milk a day, and they NEVER buy organic (they think it's gross, can't get them to understand what organic really is







) and her children started at barely 9 years old, in fact one of her daughters was diagnosed with precocious puberty at age 5. She had pubic hair and everything at that age. My dd doesn't have pubic hair yet, or breast buds either. I didn't get those things until about a year after I started my period.

-Heather


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## gretasmommy (Aug 11, 2002)

I can't see how she could have a true period without enough hormones to produce pubic hair, and weighing only 73 ounds. Perhaps she had some vaginal or vulvar irritation that healed quickly or was in an area you couldn't see.

Unlikely a true period, though. When uterine lining is shed, it is almost always brownish in color at first, and then for some quickly turns to a red color.

Hope she is feeling better soon!


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## broodymama (May 3, 2004)

I didn't get my first period until I was 13, however I was very thin when I did get it. I was maybe 5' 4" tall at the time and about 80-85 lbs. I didn't break 100# until my sophomore year in high school. So don't rule it out based on weight alone.
















to you and your daughter.


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## HotMama (Oct 26, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *LadyBug & BabyBug*
I didn't get my first period until I was 13, however I was very thin when I did get it. I was maybe 5' 4" tall at the time and about 80-85 lbs. I didn't break 100# until my sophomore year in high school. So don't rule it out based on weight alone.
















to you and your daughter.

Me too...I'd go the wait and watch route myself. If there are any other symptoms, go see your health professional. I'd especially wait since she had some pimples.


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## stayathomecristi (Jul 7, 2004)

I'm guessing UTI even though I don't have much to base it on. She had some cramping and the small amount of blood. Any other symptoms that could point to it? Fever? Back pain? Pain when urinating? For my piece of mind, I would have a urine culture done. Load her up on some cranberry juice as well since it can't hurt. If it's not a UTI, then I would definitely write this on the calendar and keep watch for a few months for regular bleeding.

Just my humble opinion









Cristi


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## lynncruz (Jan 2, 2005)

If your daughter is very active she could have broken her hymen which may cause some spotting. (remember the test for virgins - blood on the wedding bed?) A UTI would more likely cause pain and incomplete urination, sometimes they are asymptomatic.


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## Star (Apr 21, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gretasmommy*
Unlikely a true period, though. When uterine lining is shed, it is almost always brownish in color at first, and then for some quickly turns to a red color.









I was around 9 or 10 when I got mine and that is what it was like. It wasn't pink or red at all at first.


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## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

hmmm, mine's always been red except for the last day so I hadn't thought of that. And even on the last day the bit on the toilet paper is always red or pink, I thought the brown was because of exposure to oxygen.


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## Marlet (Sep 9, 2004)

Hmmm, mine has always been red.

Let's see my mom started when she was nine and she never had regular periods. I mean NEVER any regularity of any kind! I didn't start until almost the end of ninth grade and mine were so regular I can set a clock by it. Mine was definitely a weight issue. However once I got it it didn't matter what I weighed, I'd always have one once a month. After I started birth control things got waky on me. Extra hormones and what not. I didn't get "breast buds" or boobs until half way through my 10th grade year and then they REALLY grew in.









I popped a question into ask.com to see what I came up with and here is one of many articles.

GIRLS ON THE FAST TRACK: Girls are entering puberty at an early age

October 16, 2001

BY JEAN NASH JOHNSON
DALLAS MORNING NEWS

Brittany, an energetic fifth-grader, loves riding her bike fast. She and best friend Jennifer giggle awkwardly during suggestive moments in PG-13 movies. Until recently, they adored TV's "Rugrats." RELATED CONTENT 
Lessons to teach as kids mature

SIGNS OF PUBERTY IN GIRLS 
DALLAS MORNING NEWS 
Regardless of whether you have an early bloomer, here are things to look for.

Breast development: During puberty, breast buds begin to form, raising the nipple, and the breasts begin to stand out more. The areola, the colored ring of flesh around the nipple, gets bigger and wider. Many experts believe this is the first notable sign in young girls.

Pubic and underarm hair: As early as 7 in some girls, soft nests of hair begin to form between the legs and in the armpit. The first hairs are straight or slightly curly with not much color.

Body shape: Hips and thighs widen. Girls get taller and experience a growth spurt faster than at any other stage in life. Many girls are near their adult height by the end of puberty.

Skin changes: For a lot of girls, puberty changes bring on pimples and acne. The skin begins to make new oils, which change the body's feel and smell.

Emotional swings: Many girls experience a series of highs and lows before they get their periods. They may have times when they feel in the dumps for no apparent reason. Part of the reason may be hormones, says author and puberty educator Lynda Madaras.

Menstruation: The ultimate sign of puberty is when a girl gets her period each month. Menstruation may not be a monthly affair in the beginning. Younger girls just starting are likely to be irregular because the body needs time to adapt. In the beginning, some girls have cycles in which they get their periods but do not ovulate. Many experts say it takes 2-3 years for the body to regulate the pattern of ovulation and menstruation.

The girls still play with Barbies and Brittany's dolls, and they get a kick out of singing along with their CDs. When they mouth Britney Spears' "I'm Not That Innocent," they're mimicking a phrase that is ironic.

Brittany is 11 years old, 5-foot-5 and 130 pounds. She got her period 2 years ago, soon after turning 9. The shy-until-you-get-to-know-her schoolgirl has all the physical signs of womanhood. She has curves in all the right places.

"A child in a woman's body," her mom says, with a hint of sadness. "I had to tell my baby that she was becoming a woman when she was 8 years old. That made my heart ache."

It was a loss of innocence for a little girl who still very much wants to be a kid. Brittany's last name has been omitted to protect her identity. The young black girl started showing signs of puberty right after her seventh birthday. She had pimples and started to develop breast buds, two signals that menarche, the onset of the menstrual cycle, was approaching.

"At first, I thought she was abnormal, until I started talking to other mothers," her mother says. "Her best friend, Jennifer, was 8 (when her period started)."

A maturing body
Many pediatricians believe that girls like Brittany are normal and part of a growing number who are experiencing early puberty. Signs of puberty have been spotted in white girls as young as 7 and black girls as young as 6. Although the textbook age for menarche is around 12, the age of puberty has been falling dramatically for a decade, experts say.

In 1997, the journal Pediatrics published a study conducted from July 1992 to September 1993 of 17,077 girls, ages 3-12. It suggested that outward signs of early sexual growth appeared by age 8 in 15 percent of white girls and close to 50 percent of black girls. The study did not evaluate boys or other race groups. Some pediatric endocrinologists, however, say more research is needed to define precocious puberty.

There is no definitive answer to why early puberty occurs, although health professionals and scientists strongly suspect obesity. Among children ages 6-11 in this country, 13 percent are overweight. That's almost double the number of 25 years ago.

Emotionally still a child
Girls who are precocious physically often don't have the mental maturity to go along with their size, says Dr. Drew Alexander, a Texas physician who specializes in adolescent medicine. That's why parents need to stay engaged, he says. Without sensitive parents, a young girl can have difficulty coping and adjusting.

The reality of an unwanted pregnancy has occurred to Brittany's mom.

"I mean, she still wears ponytails and acts and dresses like a little girl," she says. "But I see how guys look at her. I have to be afraid of the older neighborhood boys trying to hit on her."

Brittany had an incident involving a 19-year-old man who lives in the neighborhood. She was riding her bike home from school one day when the man made advances. She was so frightened that she left her bike and ran home to her mom in tears.

Talking is key
Open communication is key to handling early puberty hurdles, says Charlotte Reynolds, the health service coordinator for the Cedar Hill Independent School District outside Dallas. Reynolds has 30 years of experience in the school nursing field, and she has seen the changes in attitudes about puberty in young girls and boys.

Young girls do seem to handle menarche, early or later, with greater ease than the previous generation of women, Reynolds says. "I try to encourage it. They are a lot more take-charge and self-assured about it. None of that whining we all did."

But parents should not let the self-assuredness usurp their guidance or authority during this important milestone. Because many girls are young when they get their periods, it is essential that parents and educators tune in -- "the earlier, the better."

Brittany's mom was right to stay positive, says Reynolds. Fortunately, Brittany shows no tendency to grow up in a hurry.

It's good when girls don't have an interest in boys at this time. It would be too confusing, Reynolds says. "They don't know how to handle boy-girl relationships that early.

"They are so much younger now when they want boyfriends. It's all the exposure to media. The early knowledge that they have about sex and all the exposure to TV and images of teen girls acting like women.

"The sex appeal comes in a TV commercial. Then the precocious girl looks at her body in the mirror, and she says: 'This is for me. My body is looking like that.' "

Power of suggestion
Reynolds fears that there may be a link between popular culture and early puberty. It's the power of suggestion, or mind over matter, she suggests. Strong sexual messages can have a deep effect on an immature mind. (Some have speculated that if the brain receives enough sexual signals, it can trigger the body to develop early.)

Reynolds cites "unsupervised free time with busy working parents, TV that's way over their heads, inappropriate dress and all-around early exposure to graphic media like cable, film and video games" as factors that, combined with early development, can lead to early pregnancies.

"Sex is on kids' minds as young as first grade, and parents have got to redirect the thinking," Reynolds says. "Little girls are smarter than we think, and they are going to talk about it among themselves.

"Let the information come from parents and well-meaning adults, not TV images of pop stars," she suggests.

The sooner parents have the talk, the better, says author and puberty educator Lynda Madaras. She advises parents to arm themselves with knowledge. Then instead of the Big Talk, they can have a series of conversations that happen naturally.

Madaras cowrote a parent-daughter guide with her daughter, Area, called "The What's Happening to My Body? Book for Girls" (Newmarket Press, $12.95). Parents should take particular care not to overwhelm a younger child who isn't ready for talk about sex but who needs to know about her developing body.

For example, on the way to soccer practice, your 9-year-old daughter brings up her moodiness. Tell her about the hormone changes occurring inside her body. If, when you're tucking her in at bedtime, she mentions pubic hair, use the opportunity to talk about the physical changes that happen during puberty, Madaras says.

"Kids of this age need lots of reassurance that what's happening to them is perfectly normal," Madaras says. "It's been my experience that kids are enormously grateful for such reassurance."


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## 2tadpoles (Aug 8, 2004)

I got my first period at age 11 and it was that mucky brown color, too.

My cousin's grandma got her period when she was 8, but I don't know what her body type was or anything like that. I do know that she freaked out and thought she'd injured herself, so she stuck a band-aid on it. :LOL Poor kid.


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## BohoMama (Jun 26, 2003)

ummm....sorry to be alarmist, but is it possible that somebody sexually abused your daughter? Perhaps she can't find the words to tell you, but wanted you to see the blood. Does she have a VERY trusting relationship with her daughter, or with another adult she might confide in?


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## Star (Apr 21, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *2tadpoles*
I do know that she freaked out and thought she'd injured herself, so she stuck a band-aid on it. :LOL Poor kid.

:LOL


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## Ravenmoon (Mar 2, 2002)

Wow 8!I would have her examined by someone just in case.UTI's can cause spotting.My dd is almost 8 and she weighs 48lbs and is quite tall.I can not imagine her getting a period already.Reason to celebrate though!


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## Village Mama (Jul 22, 2004)

I broke my hymen when I was 6 on the playground at school falling on the monkey bars







(TMI sorry!) I didn't know when my mom had asked me to tell her about the fall... I had to go to the doctor for all sorts of tests.


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## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

I don't think she broke her hymen. The spotting occurred first thing in the morning when she got up to go pee, there was a spot in her panties, and a couple of little swirls in the toilet. I had her clean herself with a wet wipe before she went pee the next time, there was a little smear of pink on the wipe, but none in the toilet this time. Nothing looked irritated, inflamed, abraded, or cut. I checked her pretty thoroughly, well as thoroughly I could without being invasive. She let me look at her pretty closely, and the blood seems to be coming from her vagina, which doesn't really look any different than it always has otherwise (so I don't think there's been any sexual abuse, at least with penetration). I get a pretty good look at her every few weeks or so because she has really sensitive skin and gets rashes easily. She also has a really small anus and tears easily if she doesn't get enough fiber, but I didn't see any evidence of that either. Her nipples haven't changed visually, but when I asked her if I could press on them a bit to see if I felt any "breast buds" she allowed it. I was very gentle, but she said they were tender to the touch....though I didn't feel anything different than I would expect at her age. Right now I'm leaning toward thinking maybe she scratched herself a bit in her sleep, but it was too small for me to really see it? The kids both slept with me the other night (Dh sleeps on the couch of friday nights so that the kids can sleep with me, since all 4 of us don't fit in the bed together anymore). We're going to do a urine culture tomorrow, but I really don't think it's a UTI. She doesn't have a fever, no pain etc, and by the time you're bleeding you're usually in a lot of pain or at the very least have a fever.... She's a really moody kid to begin with, lots of ups and downs every day, she's been that way for 5 years now









Thank you so much for your help everyone, I'll keep you updated....
-Heather


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## doctorjen (May 29, 2003)

I don't think it is likely to be a true period, given that she has no other secondary sexual characteristics (breasts or pubic or axillary hair.) Occasionally young girls will have a little burst of estrogen production that is enough to cause a small period, or a little breast development at a young age, then stop. Most girls start there periods 2 years or so after they start breast development, and when their pubic hair looks close to what an adult has (around Tanner stage 4 if you know about Tanner staging.) True precocious puberty (puberty very early due to a medical problem, a hormone producing tumor, or something, usually causes all the signs of puberty (hair, breasts, and menstruation) and also usually affects growth, causing the child to grow very quickly like they do during their normal growth spurt. These kids can end up shorter than average though, if they complete their growth spurt and their growth plates close early.
I think it's worth checking a urinalysis, both for possible infection and because some kidney probems can cause blood in the urine. Also, you might consider having her checked by a doc, but it sounds like most likely she might have had a little burst of hormone production and may stop again for while.


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## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

Thank you DoctorJen, your explanation makes a lot of sense.


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## mwherbs (Oct 24, 2004)

In addition to what dr Jen wrote I would be thinking of internal hemorrhoid because of the diarrhea.
I also wanted to mention although probably not the case for your daughter but my grandmother use to talk about thinking she was very sick and was going to die because she had beeturia (red in urine from eating beets)


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## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

except I don't think you can get hemmoroids of the vagina can you? I examined her and there wasn't anything that I could see that would cause it, AND the blood seemed to be coming from her vagina.

Anyway, took her to the doctor, no sign of bladder infection when they looked at her urine, sent it off to culture anyway though. The NP agrees with what Doctor Jen said


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## TiredX2 (Jan 7, 2002)

Moondiapers---

Just wanted to check in and ask if your DD is doing okay?

Hope all is well,
Kay


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## Ms. Frizzle (Jan 9, 2004)

COuld be! I had my first one when I was 10 years old. I was 83lbs and pretty short.


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## mariamaroo (Aug 15, 2004)

Holy mackerel! I am scared by these stories of 5 year olds menstruating... I am fairly careful about using only milk and meat from cows that have not been fed growth hormones, but it would be almost impossible to avoid it entirely, at least with our lifestyle.


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## Lance's_Mommy (Jan 1, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *moondiapers*
is this even possible? She's 8 1/2 years old, thin as a rail, and she's spotting. Please help!!!!

My grandma started her period when she was 9, and she was very thin! Bet she only weighed about 80lbs.


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## isabella-aiyana (Aug 18, 2004)

Just a thought...
Kind of out there, but a possiblity.
My girlfriend's daughter, who is nine, has begun masturbating. She started doing this openly and regularly, with her hands, pillows and balnkets, with other family members present. After explaining that this is a private matter, but perfectly normal, the girl confided in her mother that it felt good when she put "Barbie's leg down there". I didn't ask if it was clitoral or vaginal, but I just thought I would mention the possiblity that she may have innocently inserted a foriegn object that could have scracthed her on the inside, causing bleeding. I wouldn't discount this notion since girls have been known to put all kinds of things in there as innocent experimentation. I can remember being about twelve, feeling aroused but not REALLY knowing what it was, and trying to insert things, even a hair brush. Funny how human nature can make us do things like that, especially as children. I think this behavior is more common than most people think, so it's worth a thought. No matter how we each raise our kids,somehow, sometimes they think their behavior is too inappropriate to discuss with their parents and may feel shame. This may lead to them not wanting to disclose certain behavior. You know your daughter best. If she rebukes the idea of having put something in there in such a way that you know she thinks you've lost your marbles, then at least it has been ruled out. At this young an age, it can't hurt to cover ALL the bases.


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## oliviagoddess (Jan 10, 2003)

The 1st thing that comes to mind is Precocious Puberty. Girls as young as 2 have been known to menstuate in their diapers. I was 8 1/2 when I started my cycles. While heredity plays a part and other than fat content / body weight the other leading factor is instability in their life. It seems that the pituitary gland is triggered by stress and it figures the person doesn't have long to live, so they might as well repoduce really fast, bringing on puberty.

There may be something a doctor can do for her, or you could just let it go. But realize that having breasts at 9 (5th grade) in today's society will stigmatize your daughter. 15 years ago old women thought me "loose" and a "floozie" (yes I would hear them mutter under thier breath at me) because people assume that development is caused by "knowledge". If you dislike traditional medicine, I would suggest conulting a holistic MD or osteopathic doctor (DO) specializing in pediatrics and or gynecology. Check out Dr. Weil's site: http://www.drweil.com/u/HC/HCA210/#10

Precocious puberty is a growing problem around the world and while endocrine disruptors and oestrogen mimics are implicated, the medical profession generally regards this trend as perfectly normal:

Quote:

Causes of Precocious Puberty
In the majority of cases of precocious puberty, the cause is unknown. In some instances, the pituitary signals the ovaries and testicles to make female and male hormones at an earlier than usual time. In other cases, signs of puberty occur prematurely because of abnormalities in the ovaries, testicles, or adrenal glands. Tests are usually necessary to determine whether the cause of precocious puberty is in the brain or in another area of the body.

Treatment
If your child's doctor determines that treatment is necessary, your child may receive a medication (analog or modified form of GnRH). The goals of treatment with this drug are to temporarily stop puberty and to decrease the rate of bone maturation. Rapid bone maturation will cause your child's adult height to be shorter than his/her potential height. After the first couple of months of treatment, your child's rapid growth should slow and his or he pubertal stage will remain the same or possibly regress. Many children are too young to deal with the psychological aspects of early puberty and by stopping further advances, your child may feel more like his or her friends.

GnRH analogs are given by injection daily, or at intervals of every 3 or 4 weeks. If your child receives daily medication, then a nurse will teach you how to safely give injections at home. If your child receives the medication once a month, your local physician or a visiting nurse will most likely give the injection.

Possible Treatment Side Effects
During the first 6 weeks of treatment your child may experience the following side-effects: Girls may have mood changes, acne, an increase in breast size, and menses. Boys may have an increase in pubic hair and testicular development as well as acne. These effects are only temporary and should be controlled by the seventh week of treatment. Other side effects your child may experience include redness and slight pain at the site of the injection. Rarely, a sterile abscess may occur. Use of a filter needle to reconstitute the depot form of the analog will help prevent this. Your child will receive medication until it is appropriate for puberty to resume. Research to date indicates that when the treatment is stopped puberty should resume and advance normally.


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## richella (Nov 30, 2004)

I had menarche at 10, and they were full periods right away. I was a big meat eater as a child (no meat or dairy at all now, over 10 years!








). I was definitely stigmatized by the other kids.


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## dynamicdoula (Jun 11, 2004)

This might be a little graphic but I remember before my period started I started having CM (I remember constantly touching/sniffing it, wondering WTF it was! lol), and then after that my period started with brown, sticky textured stuff, and then after about 2 days turned to red. Only my first couple of periods were like that, now they're dark maroon red when they start or bright red. But I distinctly remember the total confusion about what I kept finding in my panties.

Does she have any 'skid marks' of cervical fluid? That would be a pretty big indicator of the hormonal changes necessary for it to be her period.


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## texcalkas (May 12, 2004)

Everything I was going to say has already been said but I still wanted to add something. I started at age 10 but had all the maturity signs: breasts, pubic hair and enough leg and underarm hair that I was allowed to shave. But, I was also less than 100 # at 5'8"...very thin. I didn't feel comfortable telling my mother so I'm thankful you have such a good relationship with her that she'll allow you to examine her.

My pastor's daughter began periods at about 8 months old and it was determined she had ovarian cysts. She had her first surgery at less than a year old and has had many more since then. This would be in the back of my mind if the other suggestions don't pan out.

Kimberly


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## moondiapers (Apr 14, 2002)

She's doing fine









I don't think she stuck anything in there, I asked her and she looked at me like I'd grown a 3rd eyeball in the middle of my forehead. Plus, she slept with me and this "period" started first thing in the morning. She has had a bit of discharge the last couple of months. I just thought she was forgetting to wipe and maybe there was a bit of urine in her undies. I should have known better since that's sure to cause a rash with her ultra sensitive skin. I'm hoping that she won't have another for a couple of more years, LOL. Other than discharge and acne there aren't any other signs of puberty.....however, my mother is 47 years old and still doesn't have breasts







so I don't think I can judge based on developement. I'll have to watch for hair growing in odd places.

-Heather


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## OliviasMommy_03 (Sep 14, 2003)

I just wanted to say I started my first period around age 9(I was in 5th grade) had no pubic(or very little) and absolutly no breasts to speak of. Ive always be rail thin. My sister (who now at age 18) is hovering around 85lbs and stands about 5'2. has barely any breast tissue and no fat to speak of has regular periods(she also started at around age 9) I wouldnt rule it out.









P.S. my first period started with lite pink spotting that turned to brite red...no brown so of the posters are talking about.


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

When I had my first period it was a few years (3 I think) after getting pubic hair. It was also really light spotting but it was brown. If it was red I'd think it was perhaps a cut on her anus or something like that.


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## gottaknit (Apr 30, 2004)

Never mind; didn't read whole thread.


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## bamamom (Dec 9, 2004)

...............................


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## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

My first period was RED!!!!!!!! My mom always told me it would look more brownish than red. I was surprised when I saw red in my undies. I was thin 5ft 7in and about 90lbs when I got my period, so I am not convinced on the need for body fat.

I am glad you have a good relationship with your daughter to discuss this.

I am 31 years old. When I was 8 there was a girl in my class that got her period. My sister was 9 when she got her first period. My mom and grandmother were actually a little worried that at 12 I had no signs of puberty. Then they worried because by the time I hit 13 I bloomed. I was the same size from 13 to my first pregnancy at 21.


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## Arwyn (Sep 9, 2004)

What doctorjen said makes a lot of sense, and meshes with what I experienced.

I had a "spot" when I was nine that was actually much like what was described by OP - just a few drops of bright red in the toilet. That was it for about 8 or 9 months, when I got my first "real" period - which was, if memory serves, a much darker red, but still not the mostly-brown I've had for most of my adult life.

So in my ever-so-humble opinion, yes, it could be any of the previously mentioned non-menstrual possibilities - but it's entirely possible it could be mentrual or pseudomenstrual in nature. Each woman, even if she's 8, is unique! So although I was 5'8" and already well over 100lbs when I experienced menarche at age ten, that's not what it's going to be like for everyone.

Isn't life interesting?


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