Both boys and girls have breast tissue. Normal breast development first appears shortly after birth, and then again at the beginning of puberty. The timing of breast development varies greatly from one person to another and in some girls may not occur until well into the teenage years.
Baby girls and boys will have a small breast bud that can be felt for a few weeks after they are born. These buds of tissue will become the breast tissue in the adult. In early infancy, they can be prominent because of the effects of the mother's estrogen. As the estrogen levels decrease, so does the prominence.
Some babies will have discharge from and redness and swelling around the nipples and most times this will resolve spontaneously. Nipple discharge in an infant is not a reason to stop breastfeeding. Bring up any concerns with your child's doctor.
Gynecomastia is the presence of enough breast tissue in a male to appear like a breast mound is developing. Gynecomastia can range from prominent breast bud tissue that does not go away to a feminized breast with a mound and rounded nipple. Half of all teenage boys will have tender, prominent tissue in the nipple area during puberty. In most cases this tissue will go down in size over 2-3 years. If it does not, and the boy is otherwise healthy, consideration can be given to removing the tissue surgically.
It is important to note that some substance abuse, including marijuana use, can aggravate the condition. It is not uncommon for teen boys with this abnormality to become self-conscious or bullied. Although breast growth in boys is often hereditary, parents should seek medical attention to look for any hormonal or endocrine imbalance.
Macromastia is the word to describe girls' breasts that are disproportionately large compared to the rest of their body. Large breasts can cause a teen girl not only emotional distress but also physical distress. For example, large breasts can be associated with upper back pain, tingling in the arms, and skin irritation. Socially they can be burdensome as teenagers, and they can restrict athletic participation. Initially, management is with physical therapy, skin care, proper bra fitting, and pain medicine as needed.
When breast size causes other problems or interferes with activities, surgery can be considered. Typically, this is two to three years after a girl's menstrual cycles have begun and after shoe size stops changing. Reduction mammoplasty surgeries, as they are called, are typically done as outpatients under general anesthesia. Activities are limited for four to six weeks, but usually girls are back at school by the next week. Surgery of this type may or may not be covered by medical insurance, depending on symptoms, duration, response to physical therapy, body-mass index (BMI), and the amount of tissue that is removed to reduce the breast size.
Up to 25 percent of teens will have breasts growing in an asymmetrical fashion, and many women reach full maturity with one breast that is larger than the other. Sometimes, this is because they are shaped differently and grow differently. Other times, when a benign mass called a fibroadenoma is present in the breast, it is removed to allow the breast to return to its normal size.
Other cases of asymmetry require consideration about how to balance the breasts. Balancing can be a combination of enlarging one side, reducing one side, or working on both sides. While parents or teens who are concerned should seek a medical evaluation, padded bras can often provide camouflage.
Because of heightened awareness of breast cancer, any lump in a child often creates a great deal of anxiety. Breast cancer is extremely rare before the age of 20; less than 0.1% of all breast cancer occurs in children or teens. Ultrasound studies can help determine whether a lump is a cyst that can be drained or a fibroadenoma.
If your child has a breast mass, talk to your child's doctor. He or she can refer you to a pediatric specialist or pediatric plastic surgeon who specializes in caring for growth problems in breast tissue. Breast operations on young girls should be carefully undertaken because of the risk of adverse effects upon future breast development.
When a girl does not have breast tissue by the age of 13, her breast development is considered delayed. Although rare, the breast bud may be nonexistent due to a chest wall deformity or failure of the underlying pectoralis muscle to develop properly. Girls with chronic illnesses like Crohn's disease, Turner syndrome, or an eating disorder may also fail to grow buds by the age of 13. See Delayed Puberty in Girls: Information for Parents.
Breast exams help doctors check that everything's normal. During a breast exam, a doctor or nurse practitioner will feel a woman's breasts to check any lumps and bumps and see if there are changes since the last exam. Doctors don't usually start doing breast exams until a woman is in her 20s.
Most teens don't need breast exams. That's because it's rare for girls to have breast problems. Doctors usually just look at a girl's breasts during her yearly gyn checkup to see where she is in her development. But if you have a family history of breast problems, your doctor or nurse might give you a breast exam.
Lots of girls and women have something called fibrocystic breast changes. This is when small fluid-filled cysts in the breasts change size based on where a girl is in her menstrual cycle. Because these cysts have to do with normal hormone changes, they are typically more obvious and may hurt a bit just before a girl's period. Fibrocystic breast changes are nothing to worry about and don't need any kind of medical treatment.
Lots of girls and guys worry about when their bodies will develop. Guys wonder when their voices will get deeper, when they'll need to shave, or when their penises will grow. Girls want to know when their breasts will develop or when they'll get their first period. If a friend or a younger brother or sister develops first, they may worry that there's something wrong with them.
The earliest physical change of puberty for girls is usually breast development, which most often begins around 10 or 11 years. But it's perfectly normal for breast development to start anytime between the ages of 7 and 13. A girl's first menstrual period usually happens about 2 to 2 years after breast development begins.
Boys begin their development on average around age 10 or 11, but it's also normal to begin anytime between the ages of 9 and 15. Girls and guys who start developing earlier or later than these ranges can still be normal, but they should be checked by their doctor just to be sure.
You can't do anything to make your body develop faster. Of course, you should eat a nutritious diet, exercise, and get enough sleep. But special diets, dietary supplements, or creams won't do anything to make normal puberty happen quicker.
Puberty (say: PYOO-ber-tee) is the name for the time when your body begins to develop and change as you move from kid to adult. We're talking about stuff like girls developing breasts and boys starting to look more like men.
It helps to know about the changes that puberty causes before they happen. That way, you know what to expect. It's also important to remember that everybody goes through these changes. No two people are exactly alike, but one thing everyone has in common is that we all go through puberty.
Usually, puberty starts between ages 8 and 13 in girls and ages 9 and 15 in boys. This wide range in ages may help explain why some of your friends still look like young kids while others look more like adults.
When your body is ready to begin puberty, your pituitary (say: pih-TOO-uh-ter-ee) gland, a pea-shaped gland located at the bottom of your brain, releases special hormones. Depending on whether you're a boy or a girl, these hormones go to work on different parts of the body.
For boys, the hormones travel through the blood and tell the testes (say: TES-teez), the two egg-shaped glands in the scrotum (the sac that hangs under the penis), to begin making testosterone (say: tess-TAHS-tuh-rone) and sperm. Testosterone is the hormone that causes most of the changes in a boy's body during puberty, and men need sperm to be able to reproduce (be the father of a baby).
In girls, these hormones target the two ovaries (say: OH-vuh-reez), which contain eggs that have been in the girl's body since she was born. The hormones cause the ovaries to start making another hormone, called estrogen. Together, these hormones prepare a girl's body to start her periods and be able to become pregnant someday.
Boys and girls both begin to grow hair under their arms and their pubic areas (on and around the genitals). It starts out looking light and thin. Then, as kids go through puberty, it becomes longer, thicker, heavier, curlier, and darker. Eventually, boys also start to grow hair on their faces.
With all this growing and developing going on, some kids may be uncomfortable with how their bodies are changing, but it's unhealthy to diet to try to stop any normal weight gain. If you have any questions about puberty or are worried about your height or weight, talk to your parent or doctor.
In addition, boys' voices crack and eventually become deeper, their penises grow longer and wider, and their testes get bigger. These changes mean that their bodies are developing as they should during puberty.
Girls' bodies usually become curvier. Their hips get wider and their breasts develop, starting with just a little swelling under the nipples. Sometimes one breast grows more quickly than the other, but most of the time they even out. Girls may start wearing bras around this time, especially if they are involved in sports or exercise classes.
Girls might wonder: When will I get my first period? This usually happens about 2 years after her breasts start to develop. The menstrual (say: MEN-strul) period, or monthly cycle, is when blood is leaves the body through the vagina. That may sound alarming, but it's normal and it signals that a girl is growing up and her body is preparing so that she can have a baby someday.
7fc3f7cf58