By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
Researchers are saying that increased environmental exposure to estrogens and obesity may be the reason why more and more American girls are undergoing puberty at ages as young as seven.
MSNBC is reporting on a new study, published yesterday in the journal Pediatrics, in which researchers report a significant increase in the number of girls who are entering puberty well before the normal age of 10 or 11.
For instance, 10 percent of seven year-old white girls are showing signs of puberty today compared to only five percent in 1997. The same significant increase is found in the number of seven year-old black girls who were found to be entering puberty today – 23 percent compared to only 15 percent in the 1997 study.
Exactly what this shift means for girls isn’t clear yet except that studies have linked the early onset of puberty to increased risk of breast cancer. Other research has shown that girls who go through puberty early tend to have lower self-esteem and poor body image, and are more likely to engage in risky sexual behaviors. Studies have also shown that girls whose bodies mature early tend to be smaller in stature.
The physical risks are not the only worry when it comes to girls and early puberty. The study’s author, Dr. Frank Biro, director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, says there’s also the issue of emotional maturity.
“Just because a girl has matured physically, doesn’t mean she’s socially or psychologically mature,” he told MSNBC.
At present, researchers are unable to say what factors are driving the trend but some say the rise in obesity may be partly to blame.
Dr. Luigi Garibaldi, professor of pediatrics and clinical director of pediatric endocrinology at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, explained that back in the 1700s, girls were not as well nourished and didn’t begin to menstruate until they were 17 or 18 years old. This leads researchers to assume that the decline in age has something to do with an abundance of food.
Environmental factors are also suspected, particularly increased exposure to estrogens found in drinking water, plastics, chemicals and foods.
Until the exact cause is discovered, researchers are suggesting that the best way to slow puberty may be to “start living green,” says Dr. Biro. “It may help for families eat together and to consume well-balanced diets. Regular physical activity may help, too.”
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