early times report
Chandigarh, Nov 4: Dr. Rama Walia, Additional Professor, Endocrinology Department honored with the prestigious Subhash Mukherjee Oration, named after the visionary Indian scientist who broke new ground in reproductive medicine and infertility treatment in India, Dr. Rama Walia delivered a comprehensive and eye-opening lecture on Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism.
This oration provided a valuable platform to raise awareness about a lesser-known but important medical condition that can significantly impact children’s growth, development, and overall quality of life. She has also contributed significantly to the scientific community by publishing several research articles on Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism and related puberty disorders, further advancing knowledge and treatment approaches in this field.
At the Department of Endocrinology in PGIMER, where Dr. Walia and her colleagues provide outpatient care for a wide range of hormone-related disorders, they frequently encounter many children and adolescents struggling with issues related to delayed or early puberty. These disorders often cause distress to the patients and their families, who may feel confused or anxious about why their child is not developing “like other children” or why puberty has started too soon., there is the urgent need for greater public understanding of such conditions, as early identification and appropriate treatment can completely transform the life trajectory of affected children.
Puberty is a natural and important phase in human development that marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is characterized by the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics such as breast development in girls, testicular enlargement and voice deepening in boys, the growth of pubic and underarm hair, and the onset of menstruation in girls.
These changes are driven by a finely tuned hormonal system controlled by the brain’s hypothalamus and pituitary gland, which communicate with the ovaries or testes to produce the necessary sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone.
However, when this complex hormonal signaling system malfunctions, the timing of puberty can be affected in two major ways: it can be significantly delayed, as seen in Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism, or it can start too early, leading to what is known as precocious or early puberty. Dr. Walia highlighted that both delayed and early puberty are not merely variations of normal development but represent underlying medical problems that require timely evaluation and treatment.
Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism is a condition where the brain fails to send the correct hormonal signals to the reproductive glands, preventing the initiation or progression of puberty. This failure can be due to a variety of genetic or acquired causes. Genetic causes include mutations in genes responsible for the development and function of the hypothalamus or pituitary gland. Acquired causes may include tumors in the brain region controlling hormone release, infections, injuries, or systemic illnesses that affect overall health and nutrition.
Children with this condition often show no or very delayed development of sexual characteristics, remain significantly shorter than their peers, and may experience low bone density and infertility if not treated. Emotional and psychological impacts are also profound, as children may feel isolated or different, affecting their confidence and social interactions.
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