Increase of prevalence of Idiopathic Precocious Puberty in Girls, during the Covid-19 Pandemic: What are the possible causes? A systematic review.
https://doi.org/10.54088/jui8
Keywords:
COVID-19, Lockdown, Idiopathic Precocious Puberty, AdolescenceAbstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic changed everyday life dramatically. Lockdowns, imposed to prevent viral transmission have been investigated as possible contributors to negative health outcomes for all ages, as well as disruptors of normal children’s development. In this setting, an increase in consults for precocious puberty has been observed.
Aim: To investigate the possible effects of the pandemic and lockdowns on the timing of puberty, along with the mechanisms interfering with pubertal onset.
Methods: The study was conducted, according to the PRISMA guidelines, using the Advanced Search tools of the PubMed platform. Only the articles that were considered relevant were included.
Results: Multiple reports for an increased incidence of precocious puberty have been published, comparing data with the pre-lockdown era, and attempting to shed light into the possible causes of this trend.
Conclusions: The most popular factors that could have an influence in pubertal timing were BMI increase, overuse of electronic devices and psychological stress.
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