MENSTRUATION IN ADOLESCENT

Adolescence is a time when a child goes through a lot of changes and that also includes transformations of puberty and the start of menstruation. But having your first period at a tender age can be alarming. Girls usually get their first period between the age of 12-16 years but nowadays things are changing at a very speed and puberty is hitting after 08 which is very scary. This generation's perception of taking things is different and they want to enjoy every moment of their life which is not fully wrong. But this has cost them the standard of their lifestyle (including eating habits) as it plays a major role in the body process. Menstruation in adolescents is a big health concern and is always a topic of medical interest in today’s world. Entering puberty is a natural process that indicates your daughter is growing up but it brings a lot of physical changes that an adolescent girl may not understand.

Talk to your child about periods

Some females find their menarche or first period around the same time that other family members have their, but this is not always the case. Several factors can impact your first period like diet, environment, weight, genetics, etc. Suppose your child is showing the signs of puberty before or about the age of 08, maybe like developing breast buds, then you need to make them understand the changes in their body and need to visit your pediatrician as they are experiencing early puberty. Many girls do not know anything about periods until it hit them. It is really sad as the thought process has not changed till now and people don’t want to talk about it and they still consider it a taboo. But It is important and a big responsibility for parents to talk about it and make sure they’re prepared.

Early Signs of Periods

Early signs of having your first period vary from person to person. Most females find their periods 02 years after breast development or if they have grown underarm or pubic hair. It can be very light initially and later become spotting or a brown discharge. For some, it can be bright red from the initial stage. The menstruation process starts when your brain informs your ovaries to release estrogen and progesterone hormones.

Each month, progesterone and estrogen cause your body to prepare for a possible pregnancy, thickening your uterine lining and preparing for a fertilized egg to attach and begin developing. When there is no longer an egg linked, a month later, this build-up will break down and begin to leak, causing your menstruation. This cycle happens once a month.

Menstruation at a young age

A big issue has sparked due to early menarche because it has negative effects in later life. It is connected to a series of health problems in adolescence and adulthood. According to Dr. Asha Dalal, Director of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Well Woman Centre, Sir H N Reliance Hospital, lower levels of activity and a heavy-calorie diet (like sugar-sweetened beverages) are responsible for an increase in body mass index in several children. It can lead to a big spike in estrogen production and can cause hormonal imbalances that might trigger puberty early. The genetic issue is another factor as children with a family history can experience it alone.

In the last hundred years, there has been a tremendous change in the menstruation cycle of young girls. As per the reports and a recent study in Innovative Education and Scientific Research Foundation, Assistant Professor and Consulting Gynecologist, Dr. Priya? Deshpande says, ?34% of girls have breast development, pubic hair, and menarche before the age of 08 years in Indian girls.

Things that can cause early menarche

While studying Ayurveda texts - Bruhattrayi and Laghutrayi, the age of menarche and menopause mentioned is 12 and 50 years. Also, a famous Ayurveda author named Kashyapa wrote a book called ‘’Kashyapsamhita” which said the age is sixteen, however, it can be influenced by diet and lifestyle. ?As per the current research below are some factors that are responsible for early periods:-

• Overweight:- Children who are obese can suffer a big risk of having precocious puberty.
• Being in contact with sex hormones: - Any way of exposure to estrogen can trigger early menarche and if your child consumes phytohormones, then it increases the chances of prepubertal signs.
• Applying any cream or ointment that contains hormones can also cause early menarche.
• Suffering from any medical condition that creates abnormal production of male hormones and hormonal imbalance.

Consequences of Early Menarche

• Small in Stature:- Children who are facing early precocious puberty, grow fast. Their bones start getting matured early than normal age due to which their height stops growing. As an adult, this may make them shorter than average.
• Social and Emotional Issues:- Young women who menarche early may feel deeply self-conscious about the physical changes they are going through, even before their classmates do. Self-esteem could be impacted, and there would be a higher chance of abuse or depression.
• Other risk factors: - Precocious adolescent girls are more likely to have non-communicable diseases later in life. They are particularly susceptible to endometriosis, infertility, other gynecological illnesses, cancer (particularly breast, ovarian, and colon cancer), various heart ailments, and other conditions.

Steps that we can take to prevent young girls from having early menstruation: -

• Oversee schoolgirls' athletic and physical activity.
• It is necessary to manage stress appropriately and tactfully.
• Avoid using artificial supplements, phytohormone ingestion, and self-medication.
• Preventing childhood obesity in females needs special attention. Consumption of sweets must be limited.
• Internet use needs to be excluded since it can result in certain hormonal visual exposures.
• Girls must be given a healthy diet from birth.

Conclusion

Young girls and their parents many times find difficulty in judging what are normal menstruating cycles. It happens that patients don’t inform their caregivers about menstrual issues or missed menses and are hesitant even to discuss them with their loved ones. Today we need to have an open conversation with our child for their first periods rather than being embarrassed. It is something very natural process that has to come. Girls are the most crucial individuals on this planet. We need to make them more comfortable, maybe by celebrating it or acknowledging the first period in a good way, so that they can have a great womanhood in the future. Their health should not be compromised in any case because only fit and happy women can create a healthy generation ahead.