At what age is development normal for boys?

As parents, we all hope that our children can develop healthily. However, the physical development time of each child is different. Some children develop quickly, while others develop slowly. This will lead to differences in the physical development of different children. If a child develops worse than others, parents will definitely worry. So, at what age is the development of boys considered normal? Let's take a look.

For boys, if secondary sexual characteristics appear before the age of 9, it should be considered precocious puberty. If secondary sexual characteristics appear after the age of 9, it should be considered normal development. Boys enter puberty at about 10 to 13 years old. The first thing that appears after entering puberty is the increase in testicle size, which is caused by the increase in male hormone secretion. At the same time, the growth rate of secondary sexual characteristics may accelerate. During this period, the annual height increase rate is about 10 cm. At the same time, other manifestations may also appear, such as Adam's apple, beard, etc.

The first signs of development in boys

1. Development of reproductive organs Male reproductive organs include external genitalia and internal genitalia. The external genitalia mainly include the penis and scrotum; the internal genitalia mainly include the testicles, epididymis, seminal vesicles, and prostate. The penis is the male sexual organ, and the front end of the penis is the glans. In infants and young children, the glans is covered with a layer of skin, called foreskin. After puberty development accelerates, or when approaching maturity, the foreskin will gradually retract to expose the glans.

2. Testicles are the most important internal reproductive organs of men. They are oval in shape and are a pair. They are stored on both sides of the male scrotum. During the fetal period, the testicles are in the abdominal cavity and only descend into the scrotum after birth. Some boys do not have testicles in their scrotum, or only have testicles on one side, which means that the testicles are still in the abdominal cavity and have not descended. This is called cryptorchidism in medicine. Surgery should be performed as early as the age of two or three. The main functions of the testicles are two: one is to produce sperm; the other is to secrete male hormones.

3. The epididymis is attached to the testicles. Its main function is to store sperm produced by the testicles. At the same time, the secretions it produces provide nutrition for sperm and promote the further maturation of sperm. The seminal vesicle is located at the bottom of the bladder. Its function is to secrete yellow viscous liquid and participate in the composition of semen, which has the effect of increasing sperm motility. The prostate is a solid organ. The milky white liquid it secretes is the main component of semen.

What are the symptoms of precocious puberty in boys?

1. True precocious puberty: refers to the development of testicles and penis, and other local signs also appear. It means that the pace of gonadal maturation and the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics are completely consistent, both relatively early.

2. Pseudo-precocious puberty: refers to the fact that the testicles or penis itself do not grow larger, but other physical signs appear, such as bone age development, muscle development, and a deepening voice. Its causes are relatively clear, such as tumors or sequelae of viral meningitis leading to a large amount of sex hormone secretion. In addition, children may suffer from pseudo-precocious puberty due to improper use of birth control pills, hormone-containing supplements, and hormone-containing cosmetics.

3. Incomplete precocious puberty: except for some isolated signs, there are no systemic changes. This situation generally does not require special treatment.