Puberty is said to be delayed in girls, if secondary sexual characteristic fail to appear by:
Ans. D. 14 yearsDelayed puberty is defined as lack of secondary sexual characteristics by the age of 14 years. Absence of menarche by the age of 16 years or 5 years after pubertal onset also indicates pubertal delay. Delayed puberty may be caused by defects in the hypothalamic- pituitary axis, ovaries or genital tract. Patients with anatomical defects present with amenorrhea with normal breast development. Defects in the hypothalamic- pituitary axis are associated with low gonadotropin levels (hypogonadotropic hypogonadism). This may be related to reversible causes like systemic diseases, malnutrition, eating disorders, hyperprolactinemia and hypothyroidism.
10 years
12 years
13 years
14 years
Adolescence