GLOSSARY
A
Adolescence: the period of life in which the transition from childhood to adulthood occurs
B
Bone age X-ray: an X-ray of the left hand and wrist that helps evaluate how a child’s skeleton is maturing compared with their chronological age. This is typically done to help doctors diagnose conditions that delay or accelerate growth
C
Central precocious puberty (CPP): a condition in which children begin puberty at an abnormally early age (before age 8 in girls and before age 9 in boys). It’s caused by the early release of hormones from the brain
Chronological age: a person’s age measured from the time of birth
CPP: see Central precocious puberty
E
Estrogen: a “female” sex hormone that causes the development of female sexual characteristics and affects the reproductive cycle in women
F
Fertility: the ability to produce offspring
Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): a hormone that stimulates the growth of follicles in the ovary and produces sperm in the testes
FSH: see Follicle-stimulating hormone