Premature puberty is rare but more common in girls than in boys.
The events of puberty may proceed normally but start earlier than normal. Usually no underlying cause can be determined. Rarely, premature puberty results from a tumor of the brain or gonads, so the child's physician or a pediatric endocrinologist may recommend studies to evaluate these possibilities. A potential long-term consequence of premature puberty is shorter height. It's usually associated with rapid short-term growth that stops earlier than normal.