Premature thelarche related to fennel tea consumption?

Okdemir D., Hatipoğlu N., Kurtoglu S., Akın L., Kendirci M.

JOURNAL OF PEDIATRIC ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM, cilt.27, ss.175-179, 2014 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

Özet

Background: Isolated premature thelarche is the breast development in the absence of other secondary sex characteristics in prepubertal girls. Fennel is a plant which contains a phytoestrogen called anethole as an active ingredient.

Abstract

Background: Isolated premature thelarche is the breast

development in the absence of other secondary sex characteristics

in prepubertal girls. Fennel is a plant which

contains a phytoestrogen called anethole as an active

ingredient.

Case: Here, we report a case of a 12-month-old girl who

showed breast development that became apparent in the

last 3 months. Her medical history revealed that she was

given two to three teaspoons of fennel tea by her mother

every day for restlessness for the last 6 months. Isolated

premature thelarche was diagnosed based on physical

and laboratory findings. On follow-up, after cessation

of fennel consumption, the breast development of the

patient regressed gradually and became normal by the

end of 1 year.

Conclusion: Reporting this case, we want to emphasize

the importance of awareness of fennel tea, a commonly

used plant in babies, as a preventable cause of premature

thelarche.

Keywords: fennel tea; isolated premature thelarche;

phytoestrogen.

*Corresponding author: Deniz Okdemir, Faculty of Medicine,