The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) will allow children as young as seven to receive transgender care, according to plans seen by The Telegraph. The plans, which are part of a broader overhaul of the transgender treatment system, have sparked concerns over the potential consequences of early medical intervention on young minds.

Children covered by the services will be offered psychological support and therapy to focus on issues that may have led to feelings concerning their gender, however health experts warn that the new rule could still put children with mental health struggles on a “pathway to medical transition.”

The concerns are amplified by the potential consequences of labeling a child’s difficulties as gender-related, potentially pushing them towards a predetermined path of treatment.