Growing up too soon? Puberty strikes 7-year-old girls

[strollingbones]

The changes in Kiera’s body scared her parents. Though the 8-year-old seemed her usual chipper self, she’d started to develop headaches and acne. More alarming to her mom, Sharon, were the budding breasts on Kiera’s thin little chest.

“I thought, she’s too young,” remembers the Pittsburgh mom. “She’s still fearful about sleeping by herself. An 8-year-old just isn’t mature enough to handle this.”

For Kiera, whose last name is being withheld to protect her privacy, it was all so embarrassing. None of her friends seemed to be experiencing what she was. When they asked about the acne and her expanding chest, Kiera was evasive. “I didn’t want to tell them what was going on,” says the Pittsburgh girl, now age 9. “So I had to kind of lie to them.”

When Kiera’s parents took their daughter to the doctor, he assured them that nothing was wrong with the girl. Kiera was simply starting puberty early.

As it turns out, puberty at age 7 or 8 isn’t so unusual these days. A new study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, shows that more American girls are maturing earlier and earlier. Typically, U.S. girls hit puberty around age 10 or 11.

Precocious puberty strikes more 7-year-old girls - Health - Kids and parenting - msnbc.com


is it the hormonal addictives placed in foods? what is happening to cause this...its not natural at all.




.

 

[xotoxi]

is it the hormonal addictives placed in foods? what is happening to cause this...its not natural at all.

Global warming.

 

[Annie]

The changes in Kiera’s body scared her parents. Though the 8-year-old seemed her usual chipper self, she’d started to develop headaches and acne. More alarming to her mom, Sharon, were the budding breasts on Kiera’s thin little chest.

“I thought, she’s too young,” remembers the Pittsburgh mom. “She’s still fearful about sleeping by herself. An 8-year-old just isn’t mature enough to handle this.”

For Kiera, whose last name is being withheld to protect her privacy, it was all so embarrassing. None of her friends seemed to be experiencing what she was. When they asked about the acne and her expanding chest, Kiera was evasive. “I didn’t want to tell them what was going on,” says the Pittsburgh girl, now age 9. “So I had to kind of lie to them.”

When Kiera’s parents took their daughter to the doctor, he assured them that nothing was wrong with the girl. Kiera was simply starting puberty early.

As it turns out, puberty at age 7 or 8 isn’t so unusual these days. A new study, published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, shows that more American girls are maturing earlier and earlier. Typically, U.S. girls hit puberty around age 10 or 11.

Precocious puberty strikes more 7-year-old girls - Health - Kids and parenting - msnbc.com


is it the hormonal addictives placed in foods? what is happening to cause this...its not natural at all.




.

I've wondered about the hormones used in foods also. However, there seems to be more too it than that. Take a look at this chart found here: Average age of menarche, at the Museum of Menstruation and Women's Health

 

[strollingbones]

that is an informative graph....you have to wonder however how much longer this can go on

 

[Annie]

that is an informative graph....you have to wonder however how much longer this can go on

I'd imagine it will or already has reached it plateau around 11 or 12. Seems diet in general had the most effect on age of onset. When people didn't have the opportunity for year round balanced diet, the body didn't kick in for reproduction so early.

I'm just guessing, but would say that considering the correlation between wealthy countries and poor countries in modern era, makes sense.

 

[Middleman]

Part of the problem are endocrine disrupters emitted by plastics into our food. Part of the problem is hormones in our food and water. Part of the problem is obesity, since fat cells emit estrogen into the body.

 

[007]

I think it might also have something to do with how healthy we are today compared to years ago. We've wiped out some diseases, we have more comfortable habitats, better medicine, we have an easier life and we live longer. Possibly the body is seeing this longer life and better health as a sign that the body is ready to mature at a quicker rate. It's an overall, cumulative thing, although I believe also that it's got a lot to do with the drugs and chemicals in our food and water.

 

[xotoxi]

I think it might also have something to do with how healthy we are today compared to years ago. We've wiped out some diseases, we have more comfortable habitats, better medicine, we have an easier life and we live longer. Possibly the body is seeing this longer life and better health as a sign that the body is ready to mature at a quicker rate. It's an overall, cumulative thing, although I believe also that it's got a lot to do with the drugs and chemicals in our food and water.

Actually, precocious puberty is not a sign of health. Middleman was correct in that environmental things and obesity are the causes of this problem.

 

[007]

I think it might also have something to do with how healthy we are today compared to years ago. We've wiped out some diseases, we have more comfortable habitats, better medicine, we have an easier life and we live longer. Possibly the body is seeing this longer life and better health as a sign that the body is ready to mature at a quicker rate. It's an overall, cumulative thing, although I believe also that it's got a lot to do with the drugs and chemicals in our food and water.

Actually, precocious puberty is not a sign of health. Middleman was correct in that environmental things and obesity are the causes of this problem.

Interesting... so should society make any sort of adjustments to this trend? Should physical maturity be equated with mental maturity?

 

[xotoxi]

I think it might also have something to do with how healthy we are today compared to years ago. We've wiped out some diseases, we have more comfortable habitats, better medicine, we have an easier life and we live longer. Possibly the body is seeing this longer life and better health as a sign that the body is ready to mature at a quicker rate. It's an overall, cumulative thing, although I believe also that it's got a lot to do with the drugs and chemicals in our food and water.

Actually, precocious puberty is not a sign of health. Middleman was correct in that environmental things and obesity are the causes of this problem.

Interesting... so should society make any sort of adjustments to this trend? Should physical maturity be equated with mental maturity?

I think that society should encourage its participants to live healthier lives. Nothing should be mandated regarding this.

If poisons in plastics are found, then manufacturing should find ways to eliminate them, like BPA-free bottles. They are already doing that.

 

[Big Black Dog]

My guess is it has something to do with the better nutrition available to kids today. Wow. What a difficult situation for both the young girl and her parents.

 

[Tank]

 

[Douger]

The problem is........................................
murkin

 

[Annie]

I think it might also have something to do with how healthy we are today compared to years ago. We've wiped out some diseases, we have more comfortable habitats, better medicine, we have an easier life and we live longer. Possibly the body is seeing this longer life and better health as a sign that the body is ready to mature at a quicker rate. It's an overall, cumulative thing, although I believe also that it's got a lot to do with the drugs and chemicals in our food and water.

Actually, precocious puberty is not a sign of health. Middleman was correct in that environmental things and obesity are the causes of this problem.

Only environmental and obesity? How then do we account for the downward historical slope?
If the avg age of onset would be 12, wouldn't the prepubescent signs begin earlier? By nature of avg, give or take two years wouldn't be out of line? She's 8, if the onset was going to be 10, I don't know how 'precocious' that is?

 

[Middleman]

My guess is it has something to do with the better nutrition available to kids today. Wow. What a difficult situation for both the young girl and her parents.

What is better about the nutrition today? The prevalence of high fat, high sugar junk food instead of home cooked meals?

 

[xotoxi]

I think it might also have something to do with how healthy we are today compared to years ago. We've wiped out some diseases, we have more comfortable habitats, better medicine, we have an easier life and we live longer. Possibly the body is seeing this longer life and better health as a sign that the body is ready to mature at a quicker rate. It's an overall, cumulative thing, although I believe also that it's got a lot to do with the drugs and chemicals in our food and water.

Actually, precocious puberty is not a sign of health. Middleman was correct in that environmental things and obesity are the causes of this problem.

Only environmental and obesity? How then do we account for the downward historical slope?
If the avg age of onset would be 12, wouldn't the prepubescent signs begin earlier? By nature of avg, give or take two years wouldn't be out of line? She's 8, if the onset was going to be 10, I don't know how 'precocious' that is?

Precocious puberty is defined as secondary sexual development before the age of 8 years in girls.
(Boepple, PA, Crowley, WF Jr. Precocious puberty. In: Reproductive Endocrinology, Surgery, and Technology, Vol 1, Adashi, EY, Rock, JA, Rosenwaks, Z (Eds), Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, 1996, p. 989.)

So, you are right...the aforementioned case is not precocious. Maybe it's pre-precocious?

 

[ConHog]

Blame it on Tysons Foods. For real. Have you noticed how much larger chicken breasts are then they were 20 years ago?

Seriously, I graduated HS in 1989 and the girls in our school by and large looked NOTHING like the girls you see even in junior high now. Now sure part of that has to do with the makeup and the way they dress compared to then, but not all of it.

Of course we didn't have as many jumbos as you see walking around now either.

 

[007]

So if girls are maturing faster, than boys are too. Must be the reason girls are dressing and acting older at a younger age, and getting pregnant. And I suppose marketers are fully aware of this maturing earlier trend, and that's why they push sexier and more skin showing clothes at the little girls. Every year before school there seems to be a legion of moms complaining about the slutty clothes the stores are trying to sell. Evidently if girls are maturing younger and younger, retailers are going to cash in on sexualizing them earlier then too. It's all about the almighty dollar.

 

[Annie]

Actually, precocious puberty is not a sign of health. Middleman was correct in that environmental things and obesity are the causes of this problem.

Only environmental and obesity? How then do we account for the downward historical slope?
If the avg age of onset would be 12, wouldn't the prepubescent signs begin earlier? By nature of avg, give or take two years wouldn't be out of line? She's 8, if the onset was going to be 10, I don't know how 'precocious' that is?

Precocious puberty is defined as secondary sexual development before the age of 8 years in girls.
(Boepple, PA, Crowley, WF Jr. Precocious puberty. In: Reproductive Endocrinology, Surgery, and Technology, Vol 1, Adashi, EY, Rock, JA, Rosenwaks, Z (Eds), Lippincott-Raven, Philadelphia, 1996, p. 989.)

So, you are right...the aforementioned case is not precocious. Maybe it's pre-precocious?

The girl in op was 8, no? I've seen this in several 3rd graders and it's difficult. Back in the 60's if you were in 5th grade with boobs, you kind of stood out.

 

[Tank]