RT Book, Section A1 Loomba-Albrecht, Lindsey A1 Styne, Dennis M. A2 Kline, Mark W. SR Print(0) ID 1182920891 T1 Normal Pubertal Development T2 Rudolph's Pediatrics, 23e YR 2018 FD 2018 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259588594 LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1182920891 RD 2022/08/11 AB Puberty can be considered a continuous process in which the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis develops from the infantile stages to maturity. The physical development of puberty can be denoted in an objective manner by sexual maturation ratings (SMRs), commonly referred to as Tanner stages. Staging provides an objective, consistent description of physical development, which allows recognition of precocious or delayed puberty or problems with the tempo of pubertal development. In girls, breast development and pubic hair development are usually, but not always coordinated, and should be documented separately. Similarly, in boys, genital development and pubic hair development are typically synchronous but should be described independently.