Not Sure What to Think of 3 Yr Old

Updated on November 24, 2008
J.M. asks from Appleton, WI
13 answers

My step daughter is 3 years old and this past week I have noticed a few things and don't know what to think of them. I have noticed for quite a while that she has hair on her back and i have not worried about it untill recently. It has gotten a lot thicker and seems like she has grown more. She also has black hair on her legs that seems to get thicker and darker as well. Then yesterday when I took her shirt off I smelled a strong body odor and when I smelled her underarms I realized she had the worst body odor I have smelled in a long time. She had just had a bath the day before so she wasn't dirty or anything like that. My question is is this normal and what could possibly be the cause of this.

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D.M.

answers from Duluth on

Yes, definitely take her in to see a Dr. Her hormones levels are off and you must find out why. Children that age usually don't have hair like that or body odor and they should run some blood tests, just to be safe. It is uncommon, but not unheard of either. Better be safe than sorry.

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D.H.

answers from Milwaukee on

Maybe you should mention this to her Dr and have her Thyroid checked. GOOD LUCK!

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L.M.

answers from Des Moines on

Sounds like maybe a pituitary issue? Not sure if I spelled that right... The gland that controls growth. 3 year olds should not have body odor (exceptions are only made here if the child is really obese, causing the pituitary to work overtime to compensate for the child being larger than should be. I doubt it's anything serious, but I would make a call to your pediatrician's office.

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G.N.

answers from Lincoln on

Being hairy isn't anything scary... growing hair when previously you weren't on places other than your head at 3 is scary!

I would take her to the doctor. Something's going on with her hormones and she needs to be checked out. Perhaps your pediatrician can recommend a good endocrinologist?

Good luck!

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C.K.

answers from Minneapolis on

J.,

This is worth checking out with your doctor. It is NOT normal for a 3 year old to be growing all kinds of body hair.

I have heard anecdotal evidence from other people, that hormones in conventional meat and dairy products are affecting children, causing them to start puberty at alarmingly young ages. "Going organic" can be cost prohibitive, but there are lots of different brands out on the market that are free of hormones. Buying milk that is rBgh free, and meat that is hormone/antibiotic free, is a good start.

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S.W.

answers from Minneapolis on

I would take her to a good doctor soon. Be prepared to get more than one opinion. From a quick Google search, there are many possible causes of this, from fairly harmless to very serious (tumors).

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A.P.

answers from Omaha on

I don't think that's normal! I think it depends on ethnicity and hormones. I would go get her hormone levels cked

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N.K.

answers from Green Bay on

I would take her to the endocrinologist asap.

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A.

answers from Minneapolis on

I have no idea if my experience is relevant to your situation, but my daughter had a similar situation with body hair. You may want to call your doctor and bring her in just to check it out. Apparently sometimes these kinds of things can be the signs of precocious puberty. Your doctor can test her (they xray their wrist/hand) to rule it out, or to determine if she may need treatment. They told me it is very treatable, especially if caught early. Good luck.

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M.K.

answers from Sheboygan on

I certainly don't have a good answer, and don't want to overalarm you, but I do have a medical background. With that said, it could be some kind of endocrine/hormone issue. I would bring it up to the pediatrician and if it's a continued concern, be firm about requesting consultation with a pediatric endocrinologist (or other specialist if the Pediatrician has another thought).

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M.J.

answers from Omaha on

I think I would take her in to make sure she didn't have an imbalance somewhere. Just to be on the safe side. Probably nothing though.

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E.K.

answers from Rapid City on

I agree with the other responses. I read about a family where the toddlers started getting symptoms of puberty -- turned out it was caused by the dad's hair-growing shampoo, like a Rogaine or something like that. Be sure to mention to your doctor whether you or your husband has any topical creams or shampoos that help hair growth. When the dad stopped using the stuff, the kids went back to normal. Best wishes!

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A.J.

answers from Omaha on

I don't want to scare you, but growing body hair and body odor in a 3 year old is not normal. It can be a sign of a wide variety of serious things. You should let her doctor know right away. I hope all goes well.

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