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More Girls Entering Puberty at a Very Young Age
Filed under: Development: Big Kids, Development: Tweens
More and more parents are reaching for "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret" when choosing a bedtime story for their daughters, thanks to a rise in the number of girls entering puberty early.
According to CBS' The Early Show, a study published last year in the journal Pediatrics reveals that 15 percent of all Caucasian girls are developing breasts and other outward signs of maturity by age 7. The rate among African-American children is even higher: 23 percent of girls are entering puberty early. The study looked at 1,239 girls and the results are double that of a 1997 study.
Dr. Jennifer Ashton is a medical correspondent for CBS and she tells The Early Show that the effects of precocious puberty are not "cute."
"You have to remember, this is occurring at a time of childhood development where all girls and children want to do is fit in and look like the person sitting next to them," Ashton says. "It can generate a lot of fear. It's not cute. Adults can look at it and say, 'Oh, how cute.' It's really an adult body, a developing adult body in a child's age."
The emotional effects of entering puberty at such a young age are many and varied, she adds. Girls could suffer from depression, increased peer pressure and low self-esteem -- and early sexual activity.
"They are known to participate in sexual activity in an earlier age because of this," Ashton tells The Early Show. "Also, they can be shorter because we know that estrogen is one of the key hormones in puberty that closes off the growth plates and girls will not be as tall as if they went to puberty in a later age."
So, what's causing the shift? There are a number of factors to consider, but Ashton says childhood obesity could be one of the culprits. Body fat generates the female hormone estrogen -- and estrogen is one of the body's triggers for initiating puberty.
The effects of early puberty don't end when a girl is young. It can cause issues as they grow up, as well, including an increased risk of breast and uterine cancer.
Ashton recommends that parents who see the signs of early puberty in their daughters should seek the advice of their pediatrician.
"This could be a very frightening process for a child as well as a parent," Ashton tells The Early Show.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
4-13-2011 @ 2:23PM
Kelly said...My oldest daughter is 10 years old. She started getting body odor at about age 8, pubic hair at age 9 and is now developing breasts. She is not obese, she is acutally really fit and active in many sports. We bought "The Care and Keeping of You" for her about 6 months ago and it has been a great help explaining what is going on. (since she is my oldest, it is my first experience explaining what is going on). I highly recommend this book to any parents with daughters going through pubery. It talks about everything from hygeine to acne to periods. There is also anther great book by the same people called "The Feelings Book". It handles all of the emotions that come with puberty, school, as well as self-esteem.
Although I still find it concerning that my daughter seems to be going through all of this much earlier than I did, she doesn't seem too bothered by it (yet anyway), since she know she can talk to us about it and books are a great back up. Any other parents out there going through this with your daughter....be there for her, be honest and be supportive.
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4-13-2011 @ 8:52PM
isisreptiles said...I have to wonder if all the hormones used in the raising of meat animals has anything to do with this.
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