If your toddler has underarm hair growth, Kids Health recommends that you talk to his doctor. Precocious puberty is early puberty that occurs before age 7 or 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys. It is characterized by underarm hair as well as pubic hair, acne, body odor, menstruation in females and enlarged testicles in males. If your toddler has underarm hair but no sexual organ development, he may be experiencing partial precocious puberty.
Normal Development
According to Family Doctor, the normal age for your child to begin puberty is between 11 and 12. Breast and testicle development are typically the first signs of puberty, followed by pubic hair and then underarm hair. Although every child is different, sexual growth should develop before underarm or pubic hair.
Cause
Precocious puberty may be caused by a structural problem in the brain or a brain injury. It can also be the result of an infection, such as meningitis. A problem in the ovaries or the thyroid gland may cause precocious puberty, and it can be inherited from a parent.
Testing
If your toddler's doctor suggests that she has precocious puberty, he may recommend blood and urine tests of hormone levels, x-rays to see if your child's bones are maturing beyond what is normal for her age, and/or imaging tests such as CT scans or MRIs of your toddler's brain, ovaries or testicles to try and determine if precocious puberty is occurring.
Treatment
If there is an underlying cause for precocious puberty, such as a problem in the thyroid gland or an infection, that cause will need to be treated first. Your toddler's doctor may prescribe medication to regulate hormones, which can stop underarm hair growth.
Recommendations
Experiencing precocious puberty can be physically and emotionally difficult for your toddler. He may be confused and embarrassed. Babycenter recommends that you are truthful about what is happening with your child's body and watch him for signs of withdrawal.
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