Signs of Breast Development

If you see a lump on your prepubescent daughter's chest, it may be a normal sign of breast development. While breast development actually begins in utero with a thickening in the chest in the mammary area and early development of the nipple and milk ducts, it continues throughout a girl's childhood. Specific signs develop for many girls in the "tween" years, with full development occurring for most girls during their adolescence and continuing in their early 20s. Pregnancy also brings about significant changes to the breast; but it all begins when a girl has yet to menstruate.

First Signs

Most girls of 9, 10 or 11 years begin the first stages of breast development. It's part of early pubescence and is in response to the hormones, specifically estrogen, beginning to develop in a girl's body, according to the University of Virgina Health System. The connective tissues begins to grow with fat and the early duct system begins to mature. Normally, pubic hair and underarm hair also begin to appear around this time.

Initial Stages

There are are five stages of breast development, according to the University of Virgina Health System), called the Tanner stages. These stages help classify the outward appearance of the breast, although each girl develops uniquely.

The first stage covers the development of the nipple, in which the nipple rises from the skin of the chest. The breasts remain flat, with only the nipple showing any sign of change. The second stage includes development of the breast bud, in which the nipple is raised and the areola, the skin around the nipple, enlarges. This shows the further development of the milk ducts in the breast itself.

Ayurvedic Cure notes that these first stages prepare the breasts only for the coming function of nursing. While milk ducts develop more fully in these early stages, they do not develop completely until a pregnancy is carried to term.

During these early stages, a girl's breasts may feel tender, and the skin may itch as the tissue under the skin continues to grow.

Continued Development

In Stage 3, glandular tissue is evident and the breasts are slightly larger. This stage typically occurs after menstruation has begun. In Stage 4, the nipple and areola combined rise above the breast tissue and create a second mound. The last stage, stage 5, is a fully mature breast with only the nipple raised above the breast tissue.