Understanding Puberty

Puberty marks the process of biological maturation. It usually begins in late childhood or early adolescence and includes all the physical changes that young children undergo during the passage from childhood to adulthood.

However, it should be understood that the onset and duration of puberty are characterized by tremendous variations. In girls, puberty may begin as early as 9 or as late as 13 years. Boys tend to mature slightly later than girls do. For them, puberty begins at an average age of 11 years but may occur anytime between 9 to 14 years. The changes involved in this process differ with the genders.

Changes experienced by girls:

Puberty is associated with at least four types of physical changes in girls.

• The growth spurt: The growth spurt, which is a period of rapid growth, is often the first sign of puberty. Your child may suddenly grow taller or lankier.

• The development of secondary sex characteristics: These are the most obvious outward signs of maturing. These include breast development, the growth of pubic hair and changes in oil and sweat producing glands that often lead to acne.

• Changes in body composition: Some girls may put on a lot of weight while others may become extremely lean.

• The onset of menstruation: Menarche, or the first menstrual period, is often viewed to be a sign of the onset of puberty whereas it usually occurs quite late in the pubertal process. It is attributed to the development of ovaries in young girls.

Changes experienced by boys:

There are a number of physical and psychological changes that mark this period for boys. These include:

• Voice change: It is during this phase that their voice ‘cracks’. The larynxdefine (or voice box) enlarges and the muscles or vocal cords grow, which leads to voice cracking. Eventually, the voice will change to a more permanent, ‘adult-male’ deeper tone.

• Wet dreams: It is normal for boys to have nocturnal emissions or ‘wet dreams’. This is caused by ejaculation and not urination, which occurs during sleep. Though it doesn’t necessarily mean that he was having a sexual dream.

• Involuntary erections: During puberty, boys can get erections spontaneously.

• Breast enlargement: Many boys experience swelling of breasts during the early years of puberty. A boy may feel a bump under one or both nipples. His breasts may also feel tender or even painful. After a few months, or even longer, the swelling tends to disappear.

• Body size: Arms, legs, hands, and feet may grow faster than the rest of the body.