WAG female athlete triad

[momof5]

So DD is out with her 2nd broken bone in less then a year. I have had 2 medical people recently mention to me female triad and so doing some research it could fit but I don't want to jump to any conclusions. I mean broken bones do happen in gymnastics and it sounds like its fairly common for small light 13 1/2 year old to not start their periods yet in gymnastics. Could anybody give me some additional insight on how this might look in a gymnast. I am thinking of calling her Dr but I don't want to jump to any conclusions. DD has already missed a lot of school this year and I don't want to take her out again if Dr. is going to say that they don't think it applies to her.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

looked it up, how much does she eat ?

13 1/2 was a pretty normal time to start periods when I went to school - some started earlier, some later. A lot is to do with body weight and body fat, your body being "mature" enough to reproduce. I would say if she is eating well and healthy in all other respects then I as a parent wouldn't worry, but with all things, only a doctor can give medical advice.

 

[momof5]

She is pretty obsessed with eating healthy. She eats a big breakfast everyday but eats only small portions at other meals. She makes sure she gets protein before and after practice and eats lots calcium.

 

[B&M's mom]

It doesn't hurt to talk to your doctor about it. It may just be puberty weakening her bones. Apparently during puberty their bones are doing a lot of growing and thus are weaker than adult bone. When my daughter didn't show outward signs of puberty they did a bone age scan which showed that she was developmentally delayed. My pediatrician had her evaluated and determined that she's just growing slowly. It was reassuring to know that there was nothing serious going on. And yes, some not so usual fractures started this.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Lots of kids have not begun menstruating at 13 1/2. Starting any time from 9-16 is common. It often follows a genetic pattern, so if you began menstruating later then your daughter may too. Also it is related to development, if she is a later developer then it's quite normal not to have started.

Injuries are also more common in this age group, the kids are growing and their bodies are changing. Different body parts become weaker at different parts during the pubescent years, this can cause some areas to grow faster than others. Also coordination is affected when they grow and I gs that were easy before can become difficult. Its a tricky time, especially for gymnast.

If you are concerned about your DD's health it's always a good idea to visit a doctor.

 

[gracyomalley]

Puberty generally follows a genetic pattern in healthy well fed children. This includes gymnasts. Most girls start periods between 9 and 16, with 11.5-12 being average overall. Most girls follow either their mother or their father's side of the family's pattern - unless seriously undernourished. Gymnastics as a sport tends to have more late "bloomers" but in general if you ask the parents of the gymnasts, they tended to be "late bloomers" as well, even if not athletic themselves.

If a child athlete is growing slower/developing later than would be genetically expected, then its worth a Doctor's visit. It is true that the female athlete triad can occur in gym, but in my experience its uncommon these days (perhaps short of the super high hour programs - the average girl doing 20 hours a week of gym seems to develop along familial patterns). The female athlete triad can occur in gym, but I personally see it more in runners and occ. soccer....and more in kids 15-16+.

It is also unfortunately true that girls who go through normal but earlier puberty often quit gymnastics. Traipsing around in a leotard with your friends who are genetically blessed with later puberty while you struggle with hormones, fast growth and how it changes your skills, dealing with looking like a "normal 6th grader" versus your pre-pubertal friends, and periods, etc sends many of them off the competition floor. Certainly in our region by L10 most kids are past puberty, but in the mid level optionals there is a strong selection for the later bloomers....most of whom could eat my family out of house and home and still grow slowly!

In general, gymnasts have STRONGER bones than other kids their ages - but the skills and difficulty done while also growing can lead to fractures at this age. The kind of fracture (a "normal" type for the activity involved versus unusual) can also guide you as to whether to be concerned or just frustrated!

 

[LMV]

Obviously, her physician is the best source for a good diagnosis. Some things to think about and perhaps discuss with her physician might be:
-Are the fractures associated with falls/bad landings and essentially "explained" or are they more questionable or overuse/stress fractures? Admittedly we can see all of the above with osteopenia and not all individuals with osteopenia do fracture but I think this is a good place to start the discussion. If your pediatrician wants to do bone density testing make sure she is sending you to a place that has the pediatric and adolescent software so that appropriate z-scores can be used and calculated. Vitamin D testing may also be reasonable depending on other factors in your daughter's history and whether she has ever been tested before.
-Does still being pre-menarchal at her age go along with when you remembered going through menarche? What about your mother? There does seem to be a significant genetic component for this.
-If you look at her growth chart is she continuing to grow along her own curve? All things being equal, [yeah, yeah, I know they never are] I would be much more concerned if I had a child who had been growing along the 90%ile and now had dropped down to the 50%ile than if I had a child who had been hugging the 25%ile all her life.
-Remember and remind your daughter that all nutrients are important. We need a good balance and variability of sources of carbohydrates, fat, and protein at every meal. Too much fat is bad but too little can be even worse. [For the record, adequate dietary fat intake appears to be more critical for avoiding exercise related amenorrhea than other studied variables.]

Good Luck!

 

[Galadriel]

We'll my 2 DDS one a gymnast one a couch potato both started later _around 16 . not like me _ about 12
Possibly like fathers side but not a conversation I have had with mother in law.

 

[Gymsanity]

So DD is out with her 2nd broken bone in less then a year. I have had 2 medical people recently mention to me female triad and so doing some research it could fit but I don't want to jump to any conclusions. I mean broken bones do happen in gymnastics and it sounds like its fairly common for small light 13 1/2 year old to not start their periods yet in gymnastics. Could anybody give me some additional insight on how this might look in a gymnast. I am thinking of calling her Dr but I don't want to jump to any conclusions. DD has already missed a lot of school this year and I don't want to take her out again if Dr. is going to say that they don't think it applies to her.

Wow, I think we have the cart ahead of the horse here! You didn't say which bones or how she broke them. If a Mack truck ran over and broke her leg, I'm going to say 'fair enough,' if she did a RO BHS BT and broke her leg, time to go see the Doctor. If you are going to error, be sure to do it on the side of safety. Good luck to you both, and I hope she will be fine.