About Central Precocious Puberty

Understanding Your Child’s Development

Becoming familiar with the normal changes in children can help you better understand your own child’s development. Below, we have outlined basic information about puberty.

Growth and Development

Puberty normally begins in girls between the ages of 8 and 12 and in boys between the ages of 9 and 14. Puberty is when your child’s body changes from a child into an adult. Rapid growth of muscles and bones, changes in body shape and size, and your child’s body’s ability to reproduce are some of the events that occur with puberty.

Learn more about the changes that occur during puberty with our chart, Signs of Puberty.

Please click here for Important Safety Information you should know about LUPRON DEPOT‑PED and discuss it with your doctor.

What Is CPP?

Central precocious puberty is a condition in which puberty starts too soon in children. This occurs in one child of every 5,000 to 10,000 children and is more common in girls.

During puberty, the brain produces a hormone called gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). Through a complex process, GnRH causes increases in other hormones like luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle stimulation hormone (FSH). It is these hormones that cause the ovaries to produce estrogen and the testicles to produce testosterone.

With central precocious puberty, girls under the age of 8 and boys under the age of 9 begin to develop signs of puberty.

Causes of CPP

In most cases, there is no special reason for your child’s early development. It is not caused by anything you do or have done in the past; it is not necessarily passed on from parents to children. Your doctor will perform tests to identify a possible physical cause of CPP.

Signs and Symptoms of CPP

In order for you to take an active role in your child’s treatment for central precocious puberty (CPP), you need reliable information. Listed below are some common symptoms that may occur with CPP. If you have any further questions, please speak with your doctor.

When the following signs and symptoms occur too soon, this may indicate CPP:

  • Girls begin to develop breasts and monthly menstrual periods may occur
  • The penis and testicles of boys may begin to grow larger
  • A child’s behavior may change; children may become aggressive or moody
  • Pubic hair growth may be seen in boys and girls
  • Children may have oily skin and/or acne
  • There may be a sudden growth spurt similar to what is seen in teenagers; your child may be the tallest in the class

Read on to learn how CPP is diagnosed by a doctor, and about possible treatment with Lupron Depot‑PED.

boy holding scooter

All photos are of models and not of users of Lupron Depot‑PED or persons suffering symptoms described.


Use and Important Safety Information You Should Know About Lupron Depot‑PED® (leuprolide acetate for depot suspension)

Use

LUPRON DEPOT‑PED® (leuprolide acetate for depot suspension) 7.5 mg, 11.25 mg and 15 mg are prescribed for the treatment of children with central precocious puberty (CPP). Doctors may diagnose children with CPP when signs of sexual maturity begin to develop in girls under the age of 8 or boys under the age of 9. Doctors will also perform tests to rule out possible causes of CPP that would require different treatment (e.g., tumors).

Important Safety Information

Your child should not receive LUPRON DEPOT‑PED if he/she has experienced any type of allergic reaction to LUPRON DEPOT, or similar drugs.

Females who may be pregnant, are breast-feeding, or have undiagnosed vaginal bleeding should not receive LUPRON DEPOT‑PED.

After starting LUPRON DEPOT‑PED therapy, your child may experience increased signs and symptoms of CPP during the first few weeks of treatment.

You should notify the doctor if your child has menstrual bleeding that continues beyond the second month of treatment, has irritation at the injection site, develops mood swings or behavioral changes, or has any other unusual signs or symptoms.

It is important that you keep your child’s doctor appointments. If your child misses a shot or is a week late, your child’s pubertal development could begin again.

Response to LUPRON DEPOT‑PED should be monitored 1-2 months after the start of therapy to determine if your child’s current dose is at the right level. You should know that your doctor should also be measuring your child’s bone age every 6-12 months.

Studies have not been completed in children to determine the full reversibility of fertility suppression.

The most common side effects of LUPRON DEPOT‑PED include injection site reactions including abscess, general pain, acne, rash and vaginitis/vaginal bleeding or discharge.

LUPRON DEPOT‑PED must be administered under the supervision of a physician.

This is the most important information to know about LUPRON DEPOT‑PED. For more information, talk with your child’s health care provider.

Reference: LUPRON DEPOT‑PED [package insert]. North Chicago, IL: Abbott Laboratories.

Please see the full Prescribing Information for Lupron Depot‑PED.

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