Having chronic acid sphingomyelinase deficiency (ASMD) can mean that a child may go through puberty later than his or her friends. Puberty is when the body changes from being a kid to being an adult. For girls, puberty normally happens between the ages of eight and 13; for boys, between nine and 15. If kids have chronic ASMD, puberty tends to start a few years later. This can be tough, as their friends will start to grow taller and look older than they do.
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