Differences in Puberty of Girls before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Clariano Pires de Oliveira Neto, Rossana Santiago de Sousa Azulay, Ana Gregória Ferreira Pereira de Almeida, Maria da Glória Rodrigues Tavares, Luciana Helena Gama Vaz, Ianik Rafaela Lima Leal, Monica Elinor Alves Gama, Marizélia Rodrigues Costa Ribeiro, Gilvan Cortês Nascimento, Marcelo Magalhães, Wellyandra Costa dos Santos, Alexandre Nogueira Facundo, Manuel dos Santos Faria and Débora Cristina Ferreira Lago
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Clariano Pires de Oliveira Neto: Service of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Rossana Santiago de Sousa Azulay: Service of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Ana Gregória Ferreira Pereira de Almeida: Service of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Maria da Glória Rodrigues Tavares: Service of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Luciana Helena Gama Vaz: Service of Pediatric Endocrinology, University Hospital, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Ianik Rafaela Lima Leal: Service of Pediatric Endocrinology, University Hospital, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Monica Elinor Alves Gama: Department of Medicine III, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-240, Brazil
Marizélia Rodrigues Costa Ribeiro: Department of Medicine III, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-240, Brazil
Gilvan Cortês Nascimento: Service of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Marcelo Magalhães: Research Group in Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology and Metabology (ENDOCLIM), São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Wellyandra Costa dos Santos: Research Group in Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology and Metabology (ENDOCLIM), São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Alexandre Nogueira Facundo: Service of Endocrinology, University Hospital, Federal University of Maranhão, São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Manuel dos Santos Faria: Research Group in Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology and Metabology (ENDOCLIM), São Luis 65020-070, Brazil
Débora Cristina Ferreira Lago: Research Group in Clinical and Molecular Endocrinology and Metabology (ENDOCLIM), São Luis 65020-070, Brazil

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 8, 1-10

Abstract: In the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increase in consultations for precocious puberty. We aim to analyze differences in female puberty before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional analytical study was designed at the Pediatric Endocrinology Clinic of the University Hospital of the Federal University of Maranhão in São Luis, Brazil. We included 55 girls with precocious puberty, 22 who started puberty during the pandemic and 33 who started puberty before the pandemic. Clinical, anthropometric, laboratory and imaging variables were compared between groups. Statistics were performed to determine if there was a statistical difference between the groups. Girls with puberty during the pandemic had higher Z-scores for weight (1.08 ± 1.29 versus 0.69 ± 0.83; p = 0.04), lower ovarian volume (1.88 ± 0.95 versus 3.15 ± 2.31; p = 0.01), and smaller differences between thelarche noticed by the parents and the diagnosis (6.63 ± 5.21 versus 12.15 ± 9.96; p = 0.02). The association between precocious puberty during the pandemic with higher Z-scores for weight, lower ovarian volume, and a reduction in the time between the perception of pubertal findings by parents and the diagnosis suggests the influence of the pandemic on the normal time of puberty.

Keywords: precocious puberty; COVID-19; pandemic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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