Physical and sexual development of girls from armed conflict zone as an indicator of reproductive potential

Abstract

Currently, the problem of maintaining reproductive health is rather acute. Changes in physical and sexual development are those indicators that will allow to identify a high?risk group even at an early stage for formation of reproductive potential disorders. The purpose of the study is to characterize the physical and sexual development of girls from armed conflict zone.

Materials and methods. 158 girls were examined at the age of 7–17 years suffered as a result of armed conflict. Clinical anthropometry was performed to assess physical development (standing height, body weight, body mass index). The main indicators of puberty were the severity of secondary sexual characteristics (development of the mammary gland, pubic and axillary hair growth) and the time of the first menstruation. Menstrual dysfunction was assessed.

Results. It was revealed that more than 40% of girls from the zone of armed conflict have dishormonization of physical development. Significant deviations (<3 and >97 percentiles) on the growth side and 19.0% on the side of body weight were observed in 16.5% of examined girls. The most vulnerable to physical developmental disorders at the time of the armed conflict were girls whose sexual development matched prepubertal and early puberty. It was found that almost a third of all examined girls have deviations in the formation of sexual development, which is 1.5 times more likely than in Kharkov population. 29.4% of 10–13 years old have outstripping rates of sexual development. In 14.1% of adolescents aged 14–17, the lag in the pace and timing of sexual development was recorded. Disorders of menstrual function were detected in every second patient (52.8%). Menstrual irregularities were significantly more often recorded in girls with disharmonious physical development (56.8% vs 42.6%, p<0.001).

Conclusions. The physical and sexual development of children and adolescents is one of the most important indicators of the health of the younger generation and can be used as the main most obvious and highly reliable criteria to identify high-risk groups of reproductive potential disorders.

The research was carried out in accordance with the principles of the Helsinki Declaration. The study protocol was approved by the Local Ethics Committee of an participating institution. The informed consent of the patient was obtained for conducting the studies.