Menarcheal Age and Breast Development in Purwokerto

Abstract

Puberty is a transition from childhood into adulthood. It occurs as a result of the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis activity which stimulates the central inhibitory feedback and lifts the Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH). The activation of GnRH increasingly stimulates the secretion of Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Lutenizing Hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland. Both of these hormones stimulate the production of estrogen, which allows for menarche and the development of secondary sexual characteristics. The aim of this research is determine the menarcheal age and breast development in Purwokerto. I used 99 individual subject aged 8-14 years old which contained 28 menarche subjects. The result showed that the menarcheal age average in Purwokerto was 12.4 years old. In this study, the breast measurement showed three stages of breast development. The youngest and the average age of Tanner stage two were 9 and 10 years old. The youngest and average age of Tanner stage three were 10.8 and 12.5 years old. Based on the result, menarche has correlated with the breast development stage three. The present study had similar result between Bogor, Jakarta, but differ with Pekalongan. This maybe because the samples from Purwokerto, Bogor, and Jakarta came from urban areas whereas samples from Pekalongan came from rural area