Girls who have Turner Syndrome are shorter than average. They often have normal height for the first three years of their life, but then have a slow growth rate. At puberty they do not have the usual growth spurt Non-functioning ovaries are another symptom of Turner syndrome. Normally a girl's ovaries begin to produce sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) at puberty. This does not happen in most girls who have Turner syndrome. They do not start their periods or develop breasts without hormone treatment at the age of puberty.
Even though many women who have Turner have non-functioning ovaries and are infertile, their vagina and womb are totally normal.In early childhood, girls who have Turner syndrome may have frequent middle ear infections. Recurrent infections can lead to hearing loss in some cases.
Girls with Turner Syndrome are usually of normal intelligence with good verbal skills and reading skills. Some girls, however, have problems with math, memory skills and fine-finger movements.
Diagnosis.
There is no cure for Turner syndrome. Treatment, however, may help with symptoms.Human growth hormone injections during childhood may increase adult height. Estrogen replacement therapy can promote development of the breasts and hips. Medical care is often required to manage other health problems with which TS is associated.
When a doctor suspects Turner syndrome, a blood sample can be used to make a karyotype (a chromosome analysis), and the diagnosis can be confirmed. Turner syndrome may be diagnosed during pregnancy with chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis.
During childhood and adolescence, girls may be under the care of a pediatric endocrinologist, who is a specialist in childhood conditions of the hormones and metabolism. Growth hormone injections are beneficial in some individuals with Turner syndrome. Injections often begin in early childhood and may increase final adult height by a few inches.