These findings demonstrate that thyroid antibody positivity in children was significantly associated with maternal autoimmunity and their development in girls emerges at puberty. Since heredity, female gender, and puberty are strongly associated with TA, girls in families with TA should be examined at the onset of puberty.

Statural growth is dependent on hereditary and environmental factors, i.e disease, nutrition. The improvement of socioeconomic conditions that took place during the 20th century resulted in a secular trend towards greater height and earlier sexual maturation. Greek society has changed dramatically from a mainly agricultural society at the beginning of the 20th century to a mainly urban one in the second half of the century, and during this period Greece became a developed country. The various studies examining the height of children living in Athens during this period show a gradual increase in the height of children, the difference of the mean height between 2001 and 1928 being 11.8 cm and 7.3 cm for 17 year old boys and girls, respectively. The difference in mean height was present at all ages. The difference in final height was mainly due to prepubertal growth. Girls at the age of 10 and boys at 11 years were about 8 cm taller in 2001 than in 1928. A growth study carried out on conscripts in 1990 found no significant difference in the height of males coming from urban or rural areas of the country, whereas such a difference was detected in 1968, rural men being significantly shorter than urban ones in 1968. There are only a few studies on the sexual maturation of Greek children. The available data suggest a secular trend towards earlier puberty in females; however, this can not be substantiated for males. Menarcheal age in Greek girls showed a positive secular change that is in agreement with the observed trend for earlier pubertal maturation in girls. In conclusion, Greek children in the 20th century experienced a positive secular trend in stature which also includes final height. A secular trend for earlier sexual maturation can be shown only for girls.

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If circulating adrenal androgens levels rise before the age of 8 years in girls, this phenomenon is termed premature adrenarche (PA), while the concomitant appearance of pubic hair is called premature pubarche (PP). Girls with PA-PP display an unfavorable hormonal profile compared to their normal peers and have an increased risk of developing polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) features peripubertally. However, the sequelae of premature adrenarche remains unclear. We assessed metabolic, hormonal, psychologic profiles, and ovarian morphology in 21 women of mean age (±SD) 21.3±3.3 years, BMI: 23.6±4.4 kg/m2 with PA-PP, 45 women with PCOS and 26 controls, matched for age and BMI. PA-PP women displayed a favorable lipid profile compared to PCOS and controls. Insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR), however, were similar in PA-PP and PCOS women (2.09±1.42, 2.08±0.83) and higher than controls (1.13±0.49, p <0.05). Circulating androstenedione levels did not differ between PA-PP and PCOS women (0.11±0.05 vs. 0.12±0.03), but was higher than that of controls (0.02±0.0 nmol/l, p <0,05). Ovarian volume was increased in PA-PP and PCOS (11.14±3.3 vs. 10.99±4.61) compared to controls (6.74±1.83 cm3). PA-PP women had a higher score of state/trait anxiety and depressive and eating disorder symptoms than controls, with a pattern that matched that of PCOS women. Only 14% of the PA-PP group fulfilled the Rotterdam PCOS criteria. Some women with a history of PA-PP displayed hormonal and psychologic profile similar to PCOS, and accordingly a regular monitoring of these girls during adulthood is advised.