Why girls menstruate at eight years – Dr Chioma Ofoekii

Nigerian medical practitioner, Dr Chioma Ofoekii has revealed why it is normal for an eight years girl to menstruate.

Dr. Chioma unleashed that it is normal for girls to start menstruation as early as eight years while Speaking with the NAN on Wednesday in Abuja.

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Ofoekii also gushed that a girl’s body can begin to change into that of an adult too soon, in what is known as precocious puberty.

According to the expert, precocious puberty refers to “the onset of secondary sexual characteristics” usually occurring before the age of eight in girls; and before the age of nine in boys.

“In girls, this will commonly manifest as breast development, menstrual bleeding, pubic and auxiliary hairs, acne, and rapid bone and muscle growth.

“A girl who starts menstruation at a young age is usually because the hormones responsible for puberty are being produced earlier,”   

“The symptoms in boys include enlarged testicles and penis; a deepening voice and facial hair, often on the upper lip.

Causes, at the level of the brain, include hypothalamic lesions, hydrocephalus, brain tumors, infections, and trauma; while other causes may include ovarian cysts, tumors of the adrenal gland, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, and obesity.

Accordingly, it is important to note that it can also be genetic, in which case it is just based on family genes.

She, however, says family history may reveal a similar early onset of puberty in the mother and other female siblings, citing some complications to include short stature or otherwise known as dwarfism; low self-esteem, and psychological stress.