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. 2023 Aug 3;7(9):bvad094.
doi: 10.1210/jendso/bvad094. eCollection 2023 Aug 2.

Precocious Puberty Diagnoses Spike, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Body Mass Index: Findings From a 4-year Study

Daniela Fava  1   2 , Carlotta Pepino  1 , Valentina Tosto  3   4 , Roberto Gastaldi  2 , Alessia Pepe  1 , Dalila Paoloni  1 , Marina Francesca Strati  1 , Alessia Angelelli  1 , Andrea Calandrino  1 , Caterina Tedesco  2 , Tiziana Camia  1   2 , Anna Elsa Maria Allegri  2 , Giuseppa Patti  1   2 , Emilio Casalini  1 , Marta Bassi  1 , Maria Grazia Calevo  5 , Flavia Napoli  2 , Mohamad Maghnie  1   2
Affiliations

Precocious Puberty Diagnoses Spike, COVID-19 Pandemic, and Body Mass Index: Findings From a 4-year Study

Daniela Fava et al. J Endocr Soc. .

Abstract

Context: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of girls with suspected precocious puberty has increased.

Objective: To compare the incidence of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) during COVID-19 with that of the previous 4 years.

Methods: Anthropometric, biochemical, and radiological parameters were collected between January 2016 and June 2021 from 133 girls who met the Rapidly Progressive ICPP criteria (RP-ICPP).

Results: We found a higher incidence of RP-ICPP between March 2020 and June 2021 (group 2) compared with January 2016 through March 2020 (group 1) (53.5% vs 41.1%); 2021 showed the highest annual incidence (P < .05). Group 1 and group 2 differed in age at diagnosis (7.96 ± 0.71 vs 7.61 ± 0.94; P < .05), mean Tanner stage (2.86 ± 0.51 vs 2.64 ± 0; P < .05), and in the time between the appearance of thelarche and diagnosis (0.93 ± 0.75 vs 0.71 ± 0.62 years, P < .05). There was an increase in the number of girls aged <8 years in group 2 and a significantly higher number of girls aged >8 years was found in group 1 (42 in group 1 vs 20 in group 2, P < 0.05). Overall body mass index SD score showed higher values ​​in group 2 (1.01 ± 1.23 vs 0.69 ± 1.15; P = .18), which spent an average of 1.94 ± 1.81 hours per day using electronic devices; 88.5% of this group stopped any physical activity.

Conclusions: A spike in new diagnoses of idiopathic (1.79-fold higher) and RP-CPP coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. The incidence of RP-ICPP was 1.3-fold higher during COVID-19 with a trend toward an increase in body mass index SD score. The expanding use of digital devices and the reduction of daily physical activity represent possible risk factors.

Keywords: BMI-body mass index; COVID-19; precocious puberty; rapidly progressive idiopathic central precocious puberty (RP-ICPP); screen exposure.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flowchart for selection of girls with central precocious puberty based on the adopted criteria for the study.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Number of cases of rapidly progressive idiopathic central precocious puberty divided by semesters and years of diagnosis.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Number of cases of rapidly progressive idiopathic central precocious puberty divided by age at diagnosis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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