Concern is growing among medical practitioners regarding the care of transgender children, particularly the use of medical interventions to aid transition.

Last month, a mental health advocacy body, the National Association of Practising Psychiatrists, published an open letter calling for a parliamentary inquiry into the treatment of gender dysphoria in children, and also for consensus practice guidelines.

The group is questioning a child’s capacity to provide informed consent relating to hormonal and surgical interventions for transitioning to their preferred gender.

Whether these concerns are valid is subject to rigorous debate, but researchers are still trying to understand how gender identity is formed — before medical transition is even considered.