A British mother has warned parents about the potential dangers of accidental exposure to topical hormone treatments after her daughter began showing signs of puberty at just three years old.

Samantha Ashworth, 52, said her fears were initially dismissed when she sought medical advice after noticing unusual mood swings and physical development in her young daughter, who is now five.

Drawing on her background as a newborn hearing screener and trained nursery nurse, Ashworth said she recognised the signs early but struggled for more than a year to get a diagnosis.

“I knew what I was seeing, but I didn’t feel like I was being listened to,” she said.

After repeated General Practitioner (GP) visits, missed school days and mounting medical appointments, the child was diagnosed with precocious puberty in February last year, a rare condition in which puberty begins unusually early.

Doctors later concluded that the condition may have been triggered by accidental contact with Ashworth’s hormone replacement therapy (HRT) gel, which she uses to manage menopausal symptoms.

“It was devastating. By the time we had answers, a full year had passed when treatment could have started,” she said.

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Although the transference of topical hormone gels is considered uncommon, medical experts say it can occur if strict application guidance is not followed.

Ashworth revealed the physical and emotional effects on her daughter were severe, with the child wearing clothes for six- and seven-year-olds at the age of three and experiencing intense mood swings more typical of adolescence.

“She didn’t understand what was happening to her body. To others it looked like tantrums, but she was dealing with pubescent hormones,” she said.

It was said that in 2023, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency received a report of a child experiencing abnormal growth and genital enlargement after exposure to a testosterone gel used by a parent.

The regulator subsequently asked manufacturers to strengthen safety warnings, advising users to wash their hands thoroughly after application and avoid direct skin-to-skin contact with children.

Similar precautions apply to hormone-based menopause treatments, though Ashworth said she was never advised to wear gloves when applying her gel, a step often recommended to reduce the risk of transfer.