At what age does the first menstrual bleeding begin?
The first menstrual bleeding is called menarche, and bleeding begins in girls on average between the ages of 8 and 12. Menstruation at the age of 8 is called early menarche. There may be various reasons for menstruation to occur early. Various tumors that secrete hormones related to the ovaries from the brain, disorders related to the adrenal glands, and externally taken medications can cause menstrual bleeding at an early age. In some cases, no cause can be found for early menstrual bleeding and it is described as idiopathic, meaning the cause is unknown.
Some children have been observed to have menstrual bleeding at the age of 4 or 5. However, when this situation is clarified, it is determined that the child has taken birth control pills or similar hormonal drugs that he/she finds at home. Families should be very careful to avoid such situations. There is no harm in menstrual bleeding caused by external drugs. The bleeding will probably stop on its own and will not continue until the age of normal occurrence. However, the condition of a child who starts menstruating before the age of 8 due to other reasons should be taken seriously and definitely treated.
Girls who menstruate at a young age also face some negative situations. The bone epiphyses of girls who menstruate at an early age may close early. This situation causes the girl's height not to grow sufficiently.
Until what age should menstruation begin at the latest?
In girls, menstruation should normally begin at the latest at the age of 14. If menstruation has not started, but due to hair growth and breast growth, menstruation can be expected until the age of 16. However, even if there is no bleeding other than these symptoms, a doctor should be consulted without delay.
In the early days when menstruation starts (the first year), menstrual irregularity may occur, and this is quite normal. This process, that is, the bleeding pattern, may occur every 3 months or sometimes every 5 months. In such cases, it is not preferred to apply a menstrual regulating treatment immediately. Because, in direct proportion to the girl's age, her menstrual bleeding will become regular on its own when she reaches the age of 17 at the latest.
Factors affecting the age of menstrual onset
There are also some environmental factors that affect the age of menstruation. Environmental factors that affect girls starting menstruation at an early age include living below sea level or in a low altitude area, and girls living in regions close to the equator may menstruate early.
Girls who are constantly on the move or do excessive exercise, live in rural areas and engage in agriculture or gardening, have serious nutritional deficiencies or do not have regular eating habits, and live in cold climates may also begin menstruating at a later age.
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