Risks from traditional puberty inhibitors

Previously, each month the Pediatrics Department, Children's Hospital 1 (HCMC) only received no more than 10 children with precocious puberty for treatment, but in recent years, this number has increased rapidly.

Traditional medicine to prevent puberty

Dr. Huynh Thoai Loan, Head of the Department of Nephrology - Endocrinology, Children's Hospital 1, said that according to the treatment process, when a patient comes to the hospital for examination, the doctors will give an MRI scan, blood test to determine the cause of the disease and give treatment instructions. If a child is determined to have precocious puberty, the doctors will prescribe medication and hormone injections periodically for a long time until he or she returns to normal.

However, contrary to medicine, doctors say that there are currently many outside establishments selling drugs that inhibit early puberty and puberty. Just using it once will cure the disease, causing a great impact on children's health.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bung, a resident of Go Vap, mother of a precocious child being treated at Children's Hospital 1, said that her child had just turned seven years old but her breasts developed early, much larger than normal children. Worried that her child had a tumor (one of the causes of precocious puberty), she took her child to Children's Hospital 1 for examination, then persevered in treatment for nearly a year now.

“After taking my child to Nhi Dong 1 Hospital for treatment for a few months, a fellow countryman near my house introduced me to a very effective medicine to treat early puberty. I only needed to use it once and it was gone, no need to go back and forth like now. At first, I was very happy to hear that, I wanted to cure my child, but luckily I asked the doctors first, they advised me not to buy this man's medicine" - Ms. Bung said.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bung took her child with precocious puberty to Children's Hospital 1 for examination.

Following Ms. Bung’s instructions, we contacted the seller of the “puberty inhibition” medicine that she had mentioned. Over the phone, he said his name was Manh, lived in Go Vap, did not study medicine but his family had a tradition of treating diseases with Oriental medicine for four generations.

When we asked if anyone had used the puberty-inhibiting medicine he recommended and how much it would cost to buy it, he boasted: “The family’s traditional medicine has its own formula and is definitely effective. If you don’t like using Eastern medicine, my family also has Western medicine, imported from abroad. As long as you have money, you will have the medicine.”

According to this “witch doctor”, he only treats and sells medicine when he meets patients. Therefore, he only receives children when they come to his house, not by phone. After that, he turns off his phone and blocks the number from further contact.

Medicine must be prescribed by a doctor

Discussing this issue, Dr. Hoang Thi Diem Thuy, Head of the Department of Nephrology - Endocrinology, Children's Hospital 2, said that depending on the cause, the treatment method for precocious puberty is different. However, the most commonly used method for the group of central, idiopathic precocious puberty is still using medication.

“There are many cases where, due to being too worried about their child’s precocious puberty, many parents go to the doctor and are told that their child is normal but still refuse. They take their child to see a doctor outside and buy their own injections. Therefore, the child can be inhibited due to an overdose of medication,” said Dr. Thuy.

According to Dr. Thuy, there are two causes of early puberty. The first is a physical cause, meaning that there is a disease or injury in the body that causes an increase in sex hormones, leading to puberty symptoms. Usually, when examining these children, a tumor in the brain or in the gonads will be discovered, causing inflammation of the central nervous system.

The second cause is called idiopathic, meaning the cause cannot be found. Precocious puberty due to this cause is becoming more common nowadays. Due to the lifestyle, activities, and nutrition of contemporary society affecting puberty, causing hormonal disorders...

“In theory, puberty-inhibiting drugs are a type of hormone. If used indiscriminately, this type of drug will have side effects. It will make children feel inferior and always feel like they are sick. In addition, physiologically, this type of drug affects reproductive abilities and inhibits puberty in children later on,” Dr. Thuy explained.

Regarding information about puberty inhibitors being sold outside, Dr. Thuy said that puberty inhibitors have specific indications and procedures. Children need to follow strict procedures, which means they must be admitted to the hospital for a brain MRI to see if there is a tumor in the brain.

The child must then undergo drug testing and blood tests multiple times to have a gold standard for a definitive diagnosis. Finally, the doctor will prescribe hospitalization for regular injections. It is not possible to make a random diagnosis and give the child drugs of unknown origin.

According to Dantri