The adolescence is the stage of life following childhood, which is characterized by a series of physical, psychological and social changes aimed at acquiring one's own identity and preparing for adult life.
According to the WHO, this stage would be between 10 and 19 years. And there is no fixed age for all children, as each one develops and experiences these changes according to their own rhythms. Today we want to focus on the physical changes that boys and girls experience as they get closer to adolescence.
The pubertal "stretch"
One of the main physical changes that parents notice when our children begin to enter puberty is their fast growth, which makes them gain around 25 percent of the size they will have as adults, and 40 percent of their final weight.
In Babies and more, how much does a child grow in childhood and how long will he grow up?The age at which the stretch occurs varies by sex. Thus, it is common for girls to take place between eight and 13 years old, and for boys between nine and 14 years old. But in both cases the growth will develop over two, three or four years.
It should also be noted that this growth is not proportionateWell, the first thing that grows is the lower extremities and the feet, followed by the trunk, the upper extremities and finally the head. This can give the child an ungainly appearance for a while.
The size that the child reaches at the end of this stage will depend on 75-80 percent of genetic factors, and 20-25 percent of environmental factors, such as food, physical exercise or socioeconomic status.
He growth ceases in each child at a variable age, it will depend on the moment in which it began and the speed or slowness of its progression. According to the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, under normal conditions, the average age at which growth in men ceases is at 21 years and in women at 17 years.
Sex hormones
When puberty begins, the body begins to make sex hormones responsible for physical changes that boys and girls will experience at this stage of their life, and that they begin to manifest themselves progressively after eight years in girls, and nine or ten years in boys.
The hormones directly involved in sexuality are the estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. All of them are found in both sexes, but with different levels of concentration, the highest levels of testosterone in men, and those of estrogen and progesterone being higher in women.
The changes that occur in the child
Changes is the testicles: The scrotum darkens, the appearance of the skin is modified and they grow in size. These changes usually occur between nine and 11 years.
Increase penis size and sperm production begins. Although spontaneous erections are normal in children since birth, at this stage of life, due to hormones, they can occur more recurrently.
Pubic, facial and axillary hair appears. It also increases hair on the legs, arms and rest of the body.
The voice begins to change its bell, and although at first it is normal for it to fail and appear uncontrolled, it will soon adopt a deeper and more serious tone. This is due to the growth of the larynx and the lengthening of the vocal cords.
Increase sweating, and body odor It also changes. This is because the glands of the armpits, English, palms and soles of the feet produce a sweat with more fat, causing changes in its smell.
The skin becomes more oily, being frequent the appearance of facial acne, pimples in the back and oily hair.
The changes that occur in the girl
- Breast development: the breasts begin to swell and the nipple area hardens. This is the first change that occurs in girls (between the ages of eight and 13) and announces the onset of puberty. From this moment on, the chest will grow and change shape until it looks like the adult woman.
As we can read in this article of the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, at first it is normal that breast growth is asymmetric, as well as the girl showing some sensitivity or pain to the touch and rubbing of the clothes.
Pubic hair appears, which over time will increase and become increasingly dark and thick. Also armpit hair appears and the hair of the rest of the body grows.
As in boys, too increases sweating, the body odor changes and the skin and hair become more oily, leading to the appearance of acne.
The body begins to change, the abdomen, buttocks and thighs are rounded, and the hips widen.
In Babies and more, the more you become obsessed with your weight, the greater the risk of your daughter becoming obsessed.Vaginal discharge appears, which will be the prelude to the first rule.
The first menstruation It usually appears between a year and a half and three years after starting with breast augmentation, that is, in an age range between nine and 16, according to each girl. It is normal for the first rules to be irregular, or even have more than one per month.
As we always say when we talk about the developmental milestones of the baby, Each child is unique and evolves at their own pace. Therefore, it is perfectly normal that in the last years of Primary Education and first years of Secondary, we find many inequalities in the physical aspect of boys and girls, as there will be those who have not yet begun to develop, those who have just started and who They are already in the final phase.
Treat changes naturally
The Physical changes during adolescence can be experienced from fear and worry, like any other change we may experience throughout our lives. Also, since each child will carry a different developmental rhythm, it is normal for them to tend to compare your image with that of your peers and this may generate some concern when they look different.
That is why it is very important to talk with our children in a positive way about their bodies, to naturally explain to them the "metamorphosis" that they are suffering, and to accompany them emotionally in this path of changes.
In Babies and more A mother reminds us of the importance of speaking positively about our bodies in front of our daughtersLet us also remember the importance of our children continuing to exercise regularly, maintain healthy lifestyle habits and take care of their diet.
Photos | iStock
