Table 3.
Onset of puberty |
Sexual maturity rating (Tanner staging) |
Performed by observer or by self-reporting |
Frequency: annually |
Stature |
Hormones [luteinizing hormone, estradiol, testosterone, dehydroepiandrostendione-sulfate (DHEA-S)] |
Salivary hormone levels |
Thyroid-stimulating hormone |
Later stages of puberty |
Voice pattern change (males) |
Menarche |
Menstrual history |
Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry |
At age 6 and 12 years for females and at age 6 and 14 years for males |
Discussed at the NCS inter-work group meeting “Obesity and Physical Development.” This meeting was co-chaired by the Nutrition, Growth, and Pubertal Development and the Exposure to Chemical Agents working groups in Baltimore, Maryland (USA), on 17–18 December 2002.