Impact of zinc on sexual maturation of female sickle cell anemia (SCA) children in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria.

Adolescence is an important developmental period of childhood. Good health and adequate nutrition consisting major food constituents and trace elements like zinc are fundamental for optimal sexual maturation. To determine the relationship between zinc levels and pattern of breast and pubic hair development, as well as menarcheal age of female SCA children aged 6-18 years and their matched controls with hemoglobin genotype AA. Cross sectional, case-control study. Information on biodata, age at menarche, medical and drug history as well as 24-hour dietary recall was documented using interviewer administered questionnaire. Sexual maturation was assessed using Tanner staging and zinc levels determined using Atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Eighty-one subjects were compared with 81 controls. There was significant delay in the mean age of attainment of various Tanner stages of breast and pubic hair in the subjects. Mean age of 14.81 ± 1.07 years at menarche in subjects was significantly higher than 12.62 ± 1.18 years in controls (p = 0.001). Serum zinc of 58.01 ± 10.58 µg/dl in subjects was significantly lower than 68.37 ± 8.67 µg/dl in controls (p = 0.001). Serum zinc levels were found to have a significant positive relationship with stages of sexual maturation and mean age at menarche. Reduced serum zinc in children with SCA was associated with delayed sexual maturation.

An assessment of sexual maturation among school girls in Abakaliki Metropolis, Ebonyi State, South-East Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Sexual maturation is an important milestone which starts between 8 and 14 years in girls. However, varying ages of onset of sexual maturation have been reported in different environments, with more recent studies showing earlier ages of onset in girls. There is therefore need to describe the sexual maturation of girls in each environment. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study of 6-18-year-old school girls in Abakaliki. One thousand one hundred and fifty-five girls were selected through multi-staged sampling. They were interviewed, and sexual maturation was assessed using breast and pubic hair development. RESULTS: Pubic hair development occurred earliest at a mean age of 9.87 ± 2.19 years. Breast development followed at a mean age of 10.53 ± 2.38 years. The mean age for menarche was 12.82 ± 1.29 years, which chronologically occurred between sexual maturity rating stages 3 and 4. Overweight/obesity was found to be correlated with an earlier age of onset of sexual maturation (P < 0.05). Participants belonging to the upper socioeconomic class also had earlier age of onset of sexual maturation (P < 0.05). Compared with earlier studies, positive secular trend for earlier maturation was found using pubic hair development, breast development and menarche as markers of onset of maturation. CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS: Against the background of the present findings of a continuing secular trend of earlier sexual maturation in Igbo girls, there is a need to provide relevant information to parents/guardians and to reduce puberty-related anxiety. This will go a long way in improving quality of parental support for adolescents during this crucial period.