PUBERTY
The progress from childhood to physical adulthood, during which the secondary sexual characteristics develop and reproductive functions mature. Adolescence usually refers to the progress from childhood to adult mentality, though the term is often used interchangeably with puberty. Bodily changes of sexual maturation are stimulated by an increase in the production of estrogen and androgen by the reproductive glands (the ovaries in women, the testes in men), in response to regulating hormones from the pituitary gland. The hormonal changes may cause skin problems like pimples and acne as well as emotional instability, moodiness, anxiety, and over-excitement. Loving, understanding, and support from parents and family help an adolescent boy or girl to find a sexual and personal identity in the adult world.
PUERPERIUM
The period of about six weeks that follows childbirth, during which the reproductive organs return to normal.
