A mum has shared her shock after her five-year-old daughter started going through puberty years early.
According to the NHS, the average girl starts the process around the age of 10, but Samantha Ashworth first noticed changes in her daughter Freya before she’d even started school.
The 52-year-old began to spot signs including pubic hair, breast buds, and sudden, overwhelming mood swings when Freya was three.
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Freya was diagnosed with precocious puberty, a rare condition where puberty starts unusually early – which doctors believe was triggered by her coming into contact with Samantha’s hormone patches, used to alleviate menopause symptoms.
“It was horrendous watching her have the mood swings and not being able to cope with her emotions at such a young age,” Samantha, from Southport, Merseyside, told Need To Know.
“She was suffering greatly and I didn’t explain it to her because she wouldn’t understand.
“It was hard not letting her be a child when she wanted to take her top off in front of friends and family, as the breast buds and pubic hair were so obvious.
“Her breast buds were very visible through tight tops.
“I was almost in denial when I noticed her breast buds and pubic hair because I wanted my daughter to be healthy.
“She was tall for her age and wore age six to seven clothes.
“Her meltdowns were very hard to manage as she just came across as a child having a tantrum when she was actually dealing with pubescent hormones.
“She had uncontrollable outbursts, taking herself off to bed and being very frustrated.
“It was a daily battle to try to avoid the meltdowns.
“Her mood swings were typical of a teenager.
“She was slamming doors, shouting, crying, and generally not knowing what was going on in her body.
“She followed a cycle like that of a period, so you knew why the outbursts were worse.
“Freya missed a lot of school due to all the investigations she had to have.
“It was heartbreaking.”
Samantha, who works as a newborn hearing screener and is trained as a nursery nurse, had heard of precocious puberty through her professional background.
Concerned when the symptoms appeared, she took Freya, now five, to their GP.
The referral was escalated when she changed practices and pushed for answers and Freya was formally diagnosed with precocious puberty in February 2025.
Samantha said: “By that time, a full year had passed and she could have been getting treatment.
“It was a very stressful and emotional time and we just wanted answers.
“I knew what it was but I didn’t feel like I was being listened to.
“She was missing out on being a normal child.”
Samantha claims that medics suggested the condition may have been triggered by the gel HRT she used to treat menopause symptoms like hot flushes.
She added: “The theory is that she’d come into contact with the gel from me.
“So it could have been transferred from cuddling her.”
Freya now has a check-up every six months to monitor her symptoms.
Samantha is sharing her story to raise awareness and urge parents and doctors to take early signs seriously.
She added: “I want to raise awareness of women taking the HRT gel and the effects it can have.
“I was never once told to wear gloves or avoid contact after applying the gel.”
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