This week the news outlets all carried the same scary story: young girls are beginning puberty at an alarmingly young age. Early puberty is defined as the development of sexual characteristics before age 7 in girls. An article published in the journal Pediatrics this week reports on a large study of nearly 1200 young females from across the nation.
In this study, our worst fears about early puberty were confirmed. Here are some highlights:
- 23 % of African American 7 year olds have started breast development, up from 15 % of them in 1997.
- 10% of Caucasian 7 year olds have breast development
Parents, physicians and researchers have scratched their heads, wondering what might be causing this worrisome trend. First, obesity is on the rise. One third of children in the U.S. are either overweight or obese. Estrogen is stored in fat tissue, so larger amounts of fat lead to increased hormone exposure. Rapid weight gain in the first year of life as well as obesity between the ages of 3-6 have been shown to increase the risk of early puberty.
Environmental factors also play an important role. I recently wrote a blog post about the toxicity of plastics (http://emilyfrankmd.com/plastic-plastic-everywhere/). BPA has been proven to cause serious health effects and phthalates, which are present in many personal care items, can mimic estrogen in the body. Chemicals in flame-retardant blankets and pajamas may increase estrogen exposure. Pesticides have been linked to early puberty as well.
There is real harm associated with early puberty. Early menstruation increases a woman’s lifetime breast cancer risk. Young girls who enter puberty prematurely are more likely to suffer from depression, poor self image and engage in risky sexual behavior.
If you’re concerned about early puberty in your daughter, check with your physician. Eliminate hazardous BPA in your house. Obesity is the single leading cause of early puberty, so lead by example: if your children see you living a healthy lifestyle, they’re likely to do so as well.
