Suppression of menstruation in adolescents with severe learning disabilities

• Published in: Archives of disease in childhood Vol. 92; no. 7; pp. 629 - 632
• Main Authors: Albanese, Assunta, Hopper, Neil W
• Format: Journal Article Book Review
• Language: English
• Published: London BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health 01.07.2007; BMJ; BMJ Publishing Group Ltd; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Group
• Subjects: Acquisitions & mergers; Adolescent; Adolescents; Biological and medical sciences; Birth control; BMD; Bone density; bone mineral density; Care and treatment; Child development; COC; combined oral contraceptives; Company business management; Company growth; Consent; Contraceptive Agents, Female - administration & dosage; depot medroxyprogesterone acetate injections; Developmental Disabilities - physiopathology; Developmental Disabilities - rehabilitation; Developmentally disabled children; Disabilities; DMPA; Female; Girls; GnRH; gonadotrophin-releasing hormone; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone - analogs & derivatives; Growth; Hormone replacement therapy; Hormones. Endocrine system; Humans; Intervention; Learning disabilities; Learning disorders; Learning Disorders - physiopathology; Learning Disorders - rehabilitation; levonorgestrel intrauterine system; LNG-IUS; Longitudinal Studies; Management; Medical sciences; Medroxyprogesterone Acetate - administration & dosage; Menstruation; Menstruation - drug effects; Miscellaneous; Ovulation Inhibition; Patients; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Physiological aspects; POP; Prevention and actions; progesterone only contraceptive pill; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Review; Studies; suppression; Teenagers; Thromboembolism; Young adults; Human; Puberty; Pediatrics; Menstruation; Menstrual cycle; Hormone therapy; Suppression; Recommendation; Learning disability; Adolescent; Female; Severe; Child; Endocrinology; Public health
• ISSN: 0003-9888; 1468-2044
• DOI: 10.1136/adc.2007.115709

As girls with severe cognitive developmental delay progress into puberty and become young women with learning disabilities, concerns about menstruation are common amongst carers and health care professionals are often consulted for advice. Very little, however, has been published on this area to guide the practitioner and studies are almost exclusively confined to the gynaecological literature. We aim to give an account of the various therapeutic options available and current practice within the paediatric endocrinology unit at our institution.