Growing, Growing Gone?
Monday August 9 12:18 PM ET
dailynews.yahoo.com
NEW YORK, Aug 09 (Reuters Health) -- Accidental contact with a muscle-building cream caused one
2-year-old to enter puberty about 10 years early, according to a report published in the August issue of the
journal Pediatrics.
''Testing showed that the child had about twice as much testosterone in his bloodstream as the maximum level considered
normal for his age,'' said study lead author Dr. A. Joseph D'Ercole of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
D'Ercole and colleagues report the case of a 2-year-old North Carolina boy who developed penis enlargement (to about 3.6
inches), pubic hair and acne over a 4 to 5 month period.
After ruling out other causes, the researchers determined that the child was experiencing an early puberty caused by repeated
contact with his father's testosterone muscle-building skin cream. They explain that ''although the cream was not applied
directly to the boy, he had close contact with his father, as well as with his father's body building equipment and mats, which
were smeared with the testosterone cream.''
The boy's parents were advised to prevent his contact with the substance. The investigators report that 4 months after
cessation of exposure to the cream, the boy's penis remained the same size, but ''his facial acne and pubic hair were
diminished dramatically.''
In a University statement, D'Ercole warned that ''testosterone and other anabolic steroids -- male androgenic steroids -- are
out in the community now, and people are using them to build their muscles and strength. If children get hold of them, they
could face some significant problems.''
Apart from the complications of premature puberty, the most serious of these problems could be growth abnormalities.
According to the researchers, childhood exposure to steroids could trigger rapid bone growth in the short term, but end in
shorter adult height. ''If these substances are left lying around where kids might think they are candy or something else
harmless, they could do permanent damage,'' D'Ercole warned.
The researchers note that topical use of testosterone cream does not increase adult penile size. In fact, testosterone
supplementation usually signals the body to produce less of the hormone -- resulting in smaller, not larger sexual organs.
SOURCE: Pediatrics 1999;104. |
