Optimal age of sexual maturation in Egyptian children.

To establish the optimal age of sexual maturation in Egyptian children, Tanner's maturity stages were determined for a sample of children and adolescents (1550 girls, 1563 boys) ranging from 6.5 to 18.5 years. The mean age for attainment of pubic hair (stage PH2) was 10.46 (SD 1.36) years for girls and 11.86 (SD 1.45) years for boys. For axillary hair (stage A2), mean age was 11.65 (SD 1.62) years for girls and 13.55 (SD 1.52) years for boys. The mean age at menarche in girls was 12.44 years and for breast development (stage B2) was 10.71 (SD 1.30) years. Testicular volume by palpation showed that the mean age of genital stage G2 for boys was 10.56 (SD 1.40) years. The study results can aid in the assessment of sexual maturation and pubertal disorders in Egyptian adolescents.