Growth And Development, Ages 11 To 14 Years: When To Call A Doctor

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When to Call a Doctor

Your child's doctor can help you discuss difficult issues with your adolescent if you ever are having trouble doing so on your own. Keep in mind that important subjects, such as sex, should be addressed long before you think your child will face them.

Call a doctor if your adolescent has possible health problems or issues that may need treatment. Such problems or issues may include:

• A significant delay in physical or sexual development—for example, if puberty has not begun by age 14.
• Becoming sexually active. Teens who are sexually active need to be educated about birth control and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Also, females will usually have a Pap test.
• Being overweight. A doctor can help guide weight loss and proper nutrition.
• A significant change in appetite or weight. These may signal an eating disorder.
• Severe acne that may be helped by medicine.
• Struggling to understand or use spoken or written language. Having learning problems in school could be a sign of a learning disability.
• Showing signs of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—such as inattention, impulsivity, and/or hyperactivity—that are causing problems at home or school.

Call a doctor or a mental health professional if your teen develops behavioral problems or signs of mental health problems. Signs may include:

• Expressing a lack of self-worth.
• Acting physically aggressive.
• Dropping out of school or failing classes.
• Drinking alcohol or using drugs or tobacco.
• Having serious relationship problems with friends and family that affect home or school life.
• Showing signs of depression, such as a lack of interest in normal activities and withdrawing from others.
• Regularly experiencing severe mood swings, such as being happy and excited one minute and sad the next.

Also be aware that these problems can sometimes be warning signs of suicide.

For more information, see the topic Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Teen Alcohol and Drug Abuse, or Depression in Children and Teens.

Last updated:	March 17, 2008
Author:	Debby Golonka, MPH
Reviewed By:	Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics, Louis Pellegrino, MD - Developmental Pediatrics
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Pat Truman, MATC