To explore the psychological function of children with precocious puberty and their mothers.

From March 2016 to January 2018, 70 grils who visited the Department of Pediatrics of Maternal & Child Care Center of Qinghuangdao were selected into this study. They were divided into 3 groups according to whether they were complicated with precocious puberty, central precocious puberty (CPP) group (n=24), premature adrenarche (PA) group (n=22) and early normal puberty (ENP) group (n=24). All the 70 girls and their mothers were assessed with scales within 2 weeks after their first visits. Children older than 6.0 years were assessed by self-report of Children′s Depression Inventory (CDI) and Harter Pictorial Scale of Perceived Competence (Harter scale), and children aged 1.5-5.0 years old were assessed by parent report of Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Mothers′ psychological functions were assessed by using 5-Point Likert Scale, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS), and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The procedure of this study was consistent with ethical standard established by the committee of investigation in human beings of Maternal & Child Care Center of Qinghuangdao [Approval No. 2016(61)]. All the guardians of the girls signed clinical research informed consents.

①There were no significant differences among 3 groups in age at delivery of mothers and modes of delivery (P>0.05). However, there was a statistically significant difference among 3 groups in the aspect of age (P<0.05). ②There were no significant differences among 3 groups in the aspects of total scores of CDI, 4 sub-items of Harter scale and 2 sub-items of CBCL (P>0.05). ③The psychological function evaluation results of mothers of 3 groups were as follows. The depression sub-item scores in DASS of CPP group, PA group and ENP group were (3.9±0.5) scores, (4.7±0.8) scores and (1.2±0.3) scores, respectively, and the tension sub-item scores were (8.7±2.6) scores, (10.9±3.0) scores and (4.9±0.5) scores, respectively. The differences among 3 groups were statistically significant (F=6.184, P=0.035; F=7.228, P=0.014). Further comparison showed that the scores of PA group were higher than those of ENP group, and the differences were statistically significant (t=6.322, P=0.021; t=7.356, P=0.013). While there were no significant differences among 3 groups in the aspects of the scores of stress sub-items in DASS, scores of 5 items of Likert scale and 2 items of PANAS of mothers (P>0.05).

The mother of female PA children has higher depression and tension. Psychological pressure is not an indication for the treatment of precocious puberty.