What are the stages of breast development in girls?

Both men and women have breasts, but men have special physical characteristics. Their breasts do not develop during adolescence, while girls' breasts are the focus of development during adolescence. However, we have found that there are multiple stages of breast development, such as development in childhood, and then development in adolescence. Some breasts also develop during pregnancy or lactation. Patients need to clarify the stages of breast development. So what are the stages of breast development in girls?

1. Infant period: At birth, the nipple is sunken, the areola is formed, and contains a ductal acinar system of 15 to 20 leaves, the alveoli of which contain a small amount of colostrum (because of the stimulation of the mother's estrogen, the fetus's breasts secrete fluid).

) However, it will be discharged from the nipple within one week after birth and can last until three to four weeks after birth, and the alveolar tissue will quickly degenerate into ductal tissue. During infancy and childhood, the breasts do not develop much.

2. Puberty: When girls are ten to twelve years old, the hypothalamus begins to secrete gonadotropin-releasing hormone, which causes the pituitary gland to secrete gonadotropin, further stimulating the ovaries to secrete estrogen and progesterone. Estrogen stimulates the development of the mammary ducts, while progesterone stimulates the development of the alveoli, resulting in the rapid growth of breast tissue during puberty. Generally, breast development during adolescence is divided into five stages: a. Stage 1: Nipple protrusion. b. The second stage: From the age of ten to twelve, the breasts begin to develop, the areola also becomes larger, and the breasts form a small hill. c. The third stage: around thirteen to fourteen years old, the nipples and breasts continue to develop. d. The fourth stage: From the age of fourteen to fifteen, the areola and nipple begin to swell, and the breasts gradually become spherical. e. Fifth stage: After the age of fifteen, the breasts gradually mature and take shape.

3. Pregnancy: The most obvious change a few weeks after conception is breast enlargement, which lasts throughout the pregnancy. In early pregnancy, the blood vessels in the breasts increase and the surface veins become more obvious, which is usually accompanied by pain and itching. In addition, the areola and nipple will become larger and darker in color. The changes in breast tissue are proliferation of ductal cells and alveolar cells, resulting in the growth and branching of ducts, which can be several times that of non-pregnant women.

From the middle of pregnancy, the proliferation of alveolar cells gradually decreases, and is replaced by cell differentiation. Alveolar cells gradually become single-layer secretory cells from the middle of pregnancy. Therefore, in the middle of pregnancy, a small amount of light yellow liquid can be seen in the alveolar cavity, which is called colostrum. Breast enlargement continues throughout pregnancy because cells continue to differentiate and develop, and the secretion of alveolar cells continues to increase.

The main stage of breast development for girls is puberty, which is also a very important process. Many girls develop breasts after the age of 10, and will find symptoms such as breast swelling and pain, and itchy nipples. As they age, their breasts will develop rapidly. At this time, girls should pay attention to their diet and eat more foods that are beneficial to breast development, which can help enlarge their breasts.