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A TODDLER in India has been diagnosed with a rare condition known as “precocious puberty” after developing the sexual organs of a grown man.

The child is being treated in a Delhi hospital after being diagnosed with the hormonal condition, which can cause sexual urges.

The Hindustan Times says the toddler’s parents noticed disturbing physical changes when the boy was just six months old, and his genitalia had started growing abnormally.

They took their son to the doctor when he was 18-months-old. At that point he was 95cm tall and had already started getting facial and body hair, and had fully developed sexual organs. His voice was also starting to break.

“We thought maybe he was just a big baby, so we did not take him to the doctor,” his mother told the Hindustan Times.

“But by the time he was one, it was apparent there was something wrong.

“My mother-in-law, who has taken care of several children in the family, also said that his growth seemed unnatural. That is when we took him to the doctor.”

Dr Vaishakhi Rustagi, who is treating the child at the hospital, said: “His testosterone levels were exceptionally high, as high as that of a 25-year-old, because of which he had started experiencing physical changes.

“Since he was so young, he was not able to understand what was happening. He would experience sexual urges too.

“Precocious puberty is traumatic for a child of his age and it makes them violent — his muscle strength increased to a level that even his parents couldn’t control him.”

“Precocious puberty” is defined as any child who goes through puberty before the age of seven or eight.

Precocious puberty is a very rare condition, especially at such a young age. According to Dr Rustagi, only one in 100,000 have this condition, with the incidence increasing to one to two in 100,000 in boys aged eight to 10.

“It is a rare case that happens once in 10 odd years. Precocious puberty is traumatic for a child of his age. The baby can’t express his feelings or understand what his happening to him, while his parents are left confused,” said Dr Rustagi.

Further tests revealed that there was no underlying cause for the increased levels of hormones and the doctors put him on hormone therapy. He needs to take injections that help in blocking the effect of the hormones once a month. Later, the dose will be reduced to once in three months till he is 10-11 years old and is ready to accept the changes in his body.

“If such children are not treated, they will become violent. The physical changes will not be suitable for their age. They will also stop growing after a few years and remain about 3-4ft tall,” Rustagi said.

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  • Wow ,I’ve never heard of this and I didn’t know that this could happen

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  • Precocious puberty not much is heard about this and when people do some are shocked. It is hard in countries like Australia to get help let alone in countries like India. I am glad the parents were able to get help for their son before it was too late for him. Least we forget the youngest mother at five. Puberty is hard enough for older children least alone young even baby aged children.

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  • How difficult for the family and baby. Glad he is getting treatment

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  • That poor little child. What a hard life for such a young child. Hope it can be treated so he lives a bit more comfortable.

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  • What a horrible thing to happen. Now he is being treated, things will return to more normal.

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  • Oh I can’t imagine the confusion this must have give yo the child and his family, bless them !! Glad there is some treatment possible.
    Don’t understand why didn’t take him to the doctor’s earlier tough…

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  • My son was eight when they diagnosed him with precocious puberty that was hard enough to deal with I couldn’t imagine how hard it would be for that little boy and the parents within a couple of months the injections will help my son had a course of them and the aggression significantly decreased blessings to the family and hope the little boys personality shines through now he is being treated :)

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  • This would almost tear a family apart! what a difficult condition. It is so good that it can be treated.

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  • This poor baby! It must feel make the parents feel like they have been robbed of a child.

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  • OMG I have no idea how you would even begin to wrap your head around that happening!

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  • I hav not heard of this happening to a baby. Im glad that they have some remedy to help.

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  • I have never heard of this before. Poor baby and family. I’m glad it’s treatable

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  • Poor kid, that’s a lot to deal with at his age!

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  • I hope that he can live a normal life even with this condition.

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  • Feel for the family. How terrible.

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