Studies explain why girls enter puberty as young as age 7

[Zelhar]

It hardly comes as a surprise that excessive food intake, and chemical contamination trigger early puberty. Interesting also to learn that latin girls show a greater disposition to early puberty than whites, and black are the most prone to early puberty of all groups. I suppose it also correlates to diet and obesity rates of the respective groups.

Girls are more likely now than ever to enter puberty as young as 7, according to a new study released in the journal Pediatrics.

Dr. Frank M. Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and colleagues found 15 percent of Latina girls, more than 10 percent of white girls, and 25 percent of black girls were beginning puberty at age 7.

This is what the researchers found after they analyzed data from 1238 girls ages 6 to 8 who live in Cincinnati, East Harlem N.Y. and San Francisco.

The researchers also found by age 8, 10 percent of whites, 43 percent of Blacks and 31 percent of Latinas had entered puberty.

Early puberty can lead to medical problems like low self-esteem, eating disorders, depression, early sexual activity, later menopause, elevated risk of breast cancer.

Diet and environmental pollution are believed to cause early puberty in girls. Earlier this week Food Consumer reported studies that suggest that poor diet quality and high levels of hormone IGF-1 are associated with early puberty.

Below are summaries of some more studies that may give readers some idea about how girls enter puberty at such early ages.

Phthalate  exposure linked to early puberty in girls

One study led by Chou Y.Y and colleagues at the National Cheng King University Medical College and Hospital in Tainan, Taiwan suggests that exposure to phthalate may get girls in puberty early.

The study published in the Journal of Pediatric Endocrinology & Metabolism was meant to determine the levels of phthalate ester metabolites in girls who had puberty earlier and their association with environmental factors like phthalate.

Phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors, are a group of chemicals used mainly as plasticizers to soften polyvinyl chloride. In the United States, Canada, and Europe, these chemicals are being phased out due to concerns over their safety.

For the study, Chou et al. compared metabolites in urine samples from 30 girls who exerpeinced early puberty including 30 girls with premature thelarche and 26 with central precocious puberty with that in urine samples from 33 normal controls.

The researchers found girls who entered puberty early had an average of 96.5 ng/ml of monomethyl phthalate compared to 26.4 ng/ml in girls who did not.

Some types of phthalate were associated with intake of seafood, meat, drink and the use of plastic cups and plastic handi-wrap.

Childhood obesity linked to early puberty in girls

Researchers at the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital reported in the March 2007 issue of the journal Pediatrics that childhood obesity may be one reason for early puberty in girls.

Joyce Lee MD and colleagues found a higher body mass index score in girls as young as age 3 and large increases in BMI between age 3 and first grade were associated with early puberty defined as having breast development by age 9.

Another study in the December 2009 issue of PLoS One also found the emerging obesity epidemic was linked to the timing of puberty.

Aksglaede L and colleagues from University of Copenhagen in Copenhagen, Denmark found the heavier girls were at age 7, the earlier they entered puberty.

The study was based on data from 156,835 children who were born between 1930 and 1969 and attended primary school in the Copenhagen municipality.

BMI was significantly inversely associated with the age for onset of pubertal growth spurt and peak height velocity, the stuyd found.

Obesity is blamed for everything, a health observer commented.  He said obesity is merely a symptom and the real risk is what causes obesity and these studies suggests that a girl's diet is important in determining her puberty status.

Animal protein pushes girls to enter puberty earlier

One recent study led by Günther A.L. and colleagues from Fulda University of Applied Sciences in Germany confirmed that diet plays a critical role in the timing of girls' puberty.

Günther reported in the March 2010 issue of Journal of Nutrition that those who had highest total intake of animal protein at age 5 to 6  experienced the pubertal growth spurt, peak height velocity (APHV), and menarche in girls about 0.6 years earlier than those with lowest intake.

On the other hand, high intakes of plant protein at 3 to 4 and 5 to 6 were related to later ATO, APHV, and menarche/voice break.

The researchers concluded that "These results suggest that animal and vegetable protein intake in mid-childhood might be differentially related to pubertal timing."

By David Liu

http://www.foodconsumer.org/newsite/Nutrition/Food/girls_puberty_1008100921.html

[~Hanna~]

When the food is loaded with hormones (milk, eggs, cheese, meat) this is what happens.

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Yes, I saw on the news that some were saying it's linked directly to obesity rates and should be explored further.

[Lewinsky Stinks, Dr. Brennan Rocks]

This is a sad development all in all but later menopause, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Menopause (and its male equivalent, "andropause" [which comes on far more gradually but amounts to the same thing]) is a terrible milestone for the female body and sets it into a downward spiral of failing health, ending in death. The cessation of estrogen causes damage to cognition (possibly playing a big role in Alzheimer's), obesity, heart disease, and every other imaginable health problem that exists.

That being said, childhood obesity and exposure to artificial hormones is never a good thing.

[Dr. Dan]

Muslim men might be celebrating on this news...

[Kahane-Was-Right BT]

Muslim men might be celebrating on this news...

Along with someone else we know       

 

[nessuno]

This is a sad development all in all but later menopause, in and of itself, is not a bad thing. Menopause (and its male equivalent, "andropause" [which comes on far more gradually but amounts to the same thing]) is a terrible milestone for the female body and sets it into a downward spiral of failing health, ending in death. The cessation of estrogen causes damage to cognition (possibly playing a big role in Alzheimer's), obesity, heart disease, and every other imaginable health problem that exists.

That being said, childhood obesity and exposure to artificial hormones is never a good thing.

...wow...that's depressing.  Just kidding.  It is a really sad development for young girls.  Kids don't get to be kids for long, as it is.

[TheCoon]

Muslim men might be celebrating on this news...

If they like black and hispanic girls, I suppose... Though they [censored] camels so I guess anything goes with the sand nigggros.

[Rubystars]

Different races develop at different rates naturally, it's part of the physical differences between the races. Black babies develop more quickly in the womb, black people enter puberty earlier, and they age faster (the slightly shorter lifespans to white people are not due to racism, they're due to biology).

[Zelhar]

Different races develop at different rates naturally, it's part of the physical differences between the races. Black babies develop more quickly in the womb, black people enter puberty earlier, and they age faster (the slightly shorter lifespans to white people are not due to racism, they're due to biology).

There is a huge variation of health, development, and aging within the races, even within small groups such as Jews.

[Rubystars]

Different races develop at different rates naturally, it's part of the physical differences between the races. Black babies develop more quickly in the womb, black people enter puberty earlier, and they age faster (the slightly shorter lifespans to white people are not due to racism, they're due to biology).

There is a huge variation of health, development, and aging within the races, even within small groups such as Jews.

Yes individuals vary greatly, but I'm talking about the reason why a difference might be observed along racial lines.

[The One and Only Mo]

 

[angryChineseKahanist]

Right, and according to archaeologists, homoerectus did reach puberty early and only lived 14 years.
So, yes, these primative savages do reach puberty early.

[Spiraling Leopard]

That's nothing; I started 2nd youth at age 17.

[Zelhar]

That's nothing; I started 2nd youth at age 17.

What do you mean ?

[The One and Only Mo]

You hear about that 6 year old boy and 5 year old girl who conceived a child?

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

I guess anything is possible since it's all in the hands of Hashem.

[Rubystars]

You hear about that 6 year old boy and 5 year old girl who conceived a child?

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

I guess anything is possible since it's all in the hands of Hashem.

That sounds impossible.

[Lisa]

A good part of this early puberty is from the hormones in meat and milk.  Another issue is the amount of body fat on a young girl.  If a girl is too thin, she won't start getting periods for a while.  This was the case with an old friend of my sister.  This girl was tall and very slim, but did not getting menstruating until the age of 16.  I think she had to see a doctor for it though. 

Also, the age at which girls enter puberty varies along racial lines.  I read somewhere that menses begins sooner for black and Hispanic girls than white girls.  However, I will say that 7 sounds WAY to young.  It sounds like something that would happen to a very overweight child. 

[Spiraling Leopard]

That's nothing; I started 2nd youth at age 17.

What do you mean ?

It is a joke. I usually was much more mature than the other children my age, some eons of difference. I first came up with it when I sat next to  friend of mine who was also more mature than the rest. It was probably after I would re-discover  my Transformer toys again.

[Rubystars]

I was wrong, it's not impossible:

http://www.snopes.com/pregnant/medina.asp

 

[Raulmarrio2000]

You hear about that 6 year old boy and 5 year old girl who conceived a child?

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

I guess anything is possible since it's all in the hands of Hashem.

In fact it's possible for a 5 year girl to conceive a child even if not reaching puberty. On some very rare occasions (perhaps one in many millions) girls have ONLY one mesntruation when being about 5, and then reach puberty at normal age. But the chances of this coinciding with a pervert's rape are one in astronomical numebers. The only case i know happened in Peru in 1939.