What causes early puberty?
Categories: Kids 8-11, Teens & tweens, Health & safety, Eating & nutrition, Environment
I know several women, including my daughter Christy, who hit puberty before the age of ten. Breast development is considered the first sign of the onset of puberty, but lord knows it isn't the only one. Besides menstruation, the hormonal effects of puberty can be tough on a little girl who is barely past the age of dolls and tea parties.
In the past, puberty at the age of nine would have been cause for alarm. But these days, it is much more common in girls in the United States and researchers are trying to figure out why. One new study claims that environmental toxins may be to blame. The mycoestrogen zearalenone (ZEA), which has properties similar to estrogen, can be found naturally in the environment but is also structurally similar to anabolic growth agents used in animal breeding. Could that be the cause of early puberty?
Another theory is that children are adjusting their sexual development to their environment. Can stressors in a child's life - such as marital conflict, depression and lack of parental support - cause the onset of early puberty? In support of that theory, a study published in the journal Child Development claims that preschool girls living in highly supportive families had lower levels of pubertal maturation by the seventh grade.
Clearly, the true cause of this phenomenon is yet to be discovered and it very well may be a combination of many factors. But as a parent of a young girl, the trend concerns me. I know from experience that the early onset of puberty can lead to all kinds of issues that a child just isn't emotionally prepared to deal with.
In the past, puberty at the age of nine would have been cause for alarm. But these days, it is much more common in girls in the United States and researchers are trying to figure out why. One new study claims that environmental toxins may be to blame. The mycoestrogen zearalenone (ZEA), which has properties similar to estrogen, can be found naturally in the environment but is also structurally similar to anabolic growth agents used in animal breeding. Could that be the cause of early puberty?
Another theory is that children are adjusting their sexual development to their environment. Can stressors in a child's life - such as marital conflict, depression and lack of parental support - cause the onset of early puberty? In support of that theory, a study published in the journal Child Development claims that preschool girls living in highly supportive families had lower levels of pubertal maturation by the seventh grade.
Clearly, the true cause of this phenomenon is yet to be discovered and it very well may be a combination of many factors. But as a parent of a young girl, the trend concerns me. I know from experience that the early onset of puberty can lead to all kinds of issues that a child just isn't emotionally prepared to deal with.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Emma Leigh 2-11-2008 @ 3:54PM
I recall a teacher back in my middle school days remarking that she believed puberty was starting earlier in girls due to better nutrition. I've also heard it is the hormones given to the animals we are ingesting, too. Even if they do figure out what causes it - will there be a way to delay or reverse it?
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SKL 2-11-2008 @ 4:39PM
This is one of the reasons I go organic.
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Ethel 2-11-2008 @ 4:54PM
Emma Leigh is right, its both achieving the right weight/mass on the body and achieving the right amount of adipose tissue that will lead to earlier puberty. Of course, earlier adrenarche is also critical and is also influenced by our fatty diets as well. Which is one thing to think about, fats/cholesterol are the building blocks for steroids (as in hormones). Since fats are the ideal solvent for hormones, often used or overexpressed (due to breed selection of our farm animals), there will be greater ingestion of those hormones if there is a higher intake of fats as well.
The best and simplest answer is to get our kids moving so that they use the fats they ingest for fuel and not for building blocks, don't offer too much milk (full of hormones that occur naturally in lactating cows), and encourage them to eat more fruits and vegetables. SKL has a point, but its limited and not holistic. Short of starving our girls, which we kind of did in the past (men, then boys, then women then girls got to eat often in working families), going organic isn't the solution - it helps but doesn't answer all the issues. Its what is causing the brain to release GnRH and I have pretty good idea (based on too much reading) that it is a body composition and nutritional intake that is the biggest and most impact on their continued precociousness.
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ame s 2-11-2008 @ 5:02PM
I needed a bra when I was in 4th grade (30 years ago!!!!) and started my period in 5th grade at age 10 1/2.
I now have a 10 year old wearing a 32B (training bra at age 8), developing a waistline and hips (egaads!) & having the occasional skin flare up. I've explained menstruation to her because it's a-comin!
My 8 year old daughter has a body type more like my late-husband. She's a little taller and slimmer than her sister was at age 8, no sign of needing a trainer yet, thank the Lord.
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isis 2-11-2008 @ 5:36PM
As someone who uses organic products-My 12 yr old wears 38 B and has had cycle for two yrs -she weighs 95lbs and is 5'1", she wears a 0 and has little fat(she eats normally, but soocer-b-ball horseback riding etc -she burns it off).
I think it depends on genetics, but apparently not mine.--I didn't have a need for a bra at 18-lucky me. My husbands family (females) all had chests and early cycles.
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Karen 2-11-2008 @ 8:55PM
Well, I didn't give my daughter milk, and kept her diet hormone free as possible. She is/was thin (12 slim) and exercises frequently (swims 1 1/2 hours a night 3 times a week).
I was late (15 yr). My husband's family was late (14 and up). DD is 11, has definate waist, hips, 30A bra, skin flare ups, body hair and hormones to rival mine.
So it isn't diet or genetics. She carries a panty liner at all time in her backpack. It's going to be here soon!
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Kirstie 2-12-2008 @ 9:48AM
Always wished I had this problem - I start my cycle until well past 15, and with less than five days from my 19th birthday, I STILL barely need a bra !! Seriously, at 19, I can still wear training bras.
Someone want to spread the hormonal wealth?
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Gerald Pugliese 2-12-2008 @ 4:40PM
This is a tough issue. For obvious reasons it makes a lot of people uncomfortable and no doubt, there are a combination of factors/risks at work, but, start with this...diet.
Last month The Los Angeles Times explored the early-puberty issue. I wrote about it on my blog. Check it out:
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/healthy-parenting-girls-and-puberty-sooner-and-sooner.html
A lot of America's "mystery" ailments and conditions can be traced back to diet.
Peace.
-Gerry
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the SmockLady 2-15-2008 @ 6:18PM
It's not just girls affected by this. But this is one reason we go organic as much as possible. Get those hormones out of my food.
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