Why your child’s pediatrician is so important during puberty

Monday, April 14, 2025

[5 MIN READ]

Puberty is the transition from childhood to adulthood. It’s marked by physical and hormonal changes — and often plenty of frustrations and challenges.
Helping your teen establish a trusting relationship with their pediatrician during this time can make it easier for them to navigate puberty.
Organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics have resources to help you and your teen during the adolescent years.

Why your child’s pediatrician is so important during puberty

Puberty is one of life’s biggest rites of passage. It marks the bridge between childhood and adulthood, an exciting time of growth when you watch the baby you fed and diapered develop into their own individual person — complete with their own individual personality, ideas and beliefs.

Still, if you’re the parent of a child between the ages of 13 and 18, you may not view this period as being all that magical.

During the teenage years, adolescents go through a whole host of changes — changes that affect their bodies, minds and emotions. You may experience whiplash from how quickly they go from loving you one minute to blaming you for all that’s wrong with their life the next.

Helping your teen establish a relationship with their pediatrician during this often-challenging period gives them access to an adult they can use as a sounding board when they encounter challenges. Sometimes, a pediatrician can help answer questions your teen may have during their regular well-child appointments. Other times, such as when it’s a topic your teen may not feel comfortable discussing with you, a pediatrician can act as a trusted source in your place.

“Today, there’s so much false information teens can access on the internet and on social media,” says Danielle Curitore, M.D., a pediatrician with Providence St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group in Irvine, California. “They’re going to find answers to their questions. You want to make sure it’s from a place you trust.”

Understanding puberty changes

Puberty refers to the sequence of stages that mark a child’s development to sexual maturity. Characterized by a slew of physical and emotional changes, the process to adulthood is often fraught with frustration and confusion. Yet helping your teen understand what’s going on during this time can help both them and you make the transition a little smoother.

One of the most important ways you can help your teen is by letting them know they’re not alone.

“Sometimes, I think teenagers believe puberty is only happening to them because it’s not a topic people tend to bring up in casual conversation,” Dr. Curitore says. “But they need to know that everything going on with them is completely natural and normal.”

You can also help your teen by encouraging them to seek out reliable resources — such as their pediatrician, coach or mentor — instead of relying on Google or something they saw on Snapchat when they have questions.

Finally, during a time when so much is going on inside their bodies, you can help your teen by simply leading by example — encouraging healthy habits, like getting plenty of sleep each night, eating nutritious foods that fuel them and keeping up with their hygiene.

Here’s a deeper dive into what’s going on with your teen during puberty:

Early puberty

At the beginning of puberty — usually around ages 12 to 14 — kids are growing at rapid rates (often referred to as a growth spurt) and experiencing lots of physical changes. Their metabolisms are working overtime, and their hormones are starting to fluctuate.

“During this time, your teen is really just trying to figure it all out,” Dr. Curitore says. “They may have more emotions than they’re used to and periods of irritability, and they probably don’t understand why.”

Other early signs of puberty include acne, and, likely, more body odor and sweating than they previously experienced. Girls may start seeing some more curves. Similarly, boys may start noticing more muscle definition.

“You want to start talking to them about how to take care of themselves and follow a healthy lifestyle, especially when it comes to hygiene and nutrition,” Dr. Curitore says. “They need to learn how to fuel their bodies for all that changing and growing.”

Later puberty

During puberty’s later stages — typically, around ages 15 or 16 — teens are beginning to develop their identity, as well as more emotional maturity. They may have questions related to their sexual preferences and gender.

They’re also likely taking on more responsibility, such as learning to drive or getting their first job.

Around this time, your teen also may face some difficult choices, such as whether they want to try vaping or substances like alcohol or other drugs.

“Adolescence is a really exciting time,” Dr. Curitore says. “There’s a lot happening. But it’s also a scary time because of all the challenges. It’s important to keep those yearly well visits during this period because things are changing so fast. You want to help your teen make choices that are best for them.”

Essential screenings for teens

When your child visits their pediatrician during the teen years, they’ll undergo certain screenings. These routine checks typically focus on assessing your teen’s physical well-being and mental health, as well as determining whether they’re meeting developmental milestones and getting needed vaccinations.

In addition to regular monitoring of things like blood pressure, cholesterol, hearing and vision, screenings may include questions about your teen’s behaviors or emotions, how things are going at school, and the importance of regular physical activity.

Screenings also delve into topics such as consent, sexual activity and contraception, as well as what to know about substance abuse, peer pressure, and the dangers of drinking and driving.

“Screenings allow us to not only provide teens with information and resources, but also to identify someone who may need more support,” Dr. Curitore says. “We can also do this through you or your child telling us they’ve lost their appetite lately or aren’t doing things they used to enjoy. We use these red flags to determine when a child may need additional help.”

These types of screenings can also help a pediatrician determine whether your child may be neurodivergent, which refers to having a medical disorder, learning disability or other condition that makes their brain work a little differently than their peers. People who are neurodivergent may need additional support and resources to help them succeed in school, for example.

Puberty resources for parents and teens

Discussing puberty and puberty-related concerns with your teen isn’t always easy. You’ll likely feel frustrated at times and a little bit out of your comfort zone. But that’s to be expected, Dr. Curitore says.

“It can be very daunting to be a parent of an adolescent, especially with all the exposures they have these days,” she says. “I think that as long as you’re caring, you’re listening and they know they can come to you about things, you’ll be fine. It’s all about doing your best to help your child and provide them with all the resources they need to be a successful adult.”

There are also plenty of resources available that can help guide you through the turbulence. These organizations, for example, provide access to a wealth of information for parents and teens:

Contributing caregiver

Danielle Curitore, M.D., is a pediatrician with Providence St. Joseph Heritage Medical Group.

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