Precocious Puberty: What is it & What Causes It?

Puberty usually begins between the ages of 9 and 13 for girls, causing a wide variety of changes in the body, which is the start of sexual development. The changes that girls undergo during puberty include increased growth in height, weight increase, hormonal changes, the beginning of menstrual periods, breast development and the growth of hair in the pubic area as well as under the arms. Although puberty is a normal occurrence for girls of a certain age, more and more girls are going through puberty at very early ages, sometimes as early as 7 and even younger. Parents and physicians alike are concerned about this phenomenon, because girls ages 7 and younger just aren't mentally prepared for what puberty entails. Early puberty in females can also cause serious and even life-threatening problems in the future, in some cases.

Also referred to as precocious puberty, puberty which occurs before the age of 8 in girls is difficult to explain in some cases, which makes this condition even more disturbing. Symptoms of precocious puberty include development of breasts, starting the menstrual period or other signs of sexual development before the age of 8. If any of these signs of early puberty should occur, it would be a good idea to have your child examined by a pediatrician. Despite the fact that it may be difficult to explain why precocious puberty occurs is some children, research has revealed several possible explanations.

Sign of a serious underlying disorder - In very rare cases, a girl can undergo early puberty because of a spinal cord injury, a tumor, or even an infection, which is why it's important to have your child examined by a doctor should puberty begin for her before the age of 8 or 9.

Obesity - A University of Michigan researcher, Joyce Lee, discovered that overweight girls were more likely to undergo puberty earlier than thinner girls. Obesity results in increased hormone levels, which can trigger the start of puberty sooner.

Environmental contamination - Surprisingly, precocious puberty can be caused by the products that we use everyday, like items containing plastics, personal care products, and even foods like soy products, milk and meat. Plastic products often contain potentially harmful hormone disruptors like phthalates, a chemical found in many products. Cows are often injected with hormones, which has been proven to causes hormonal fluctuations in humans, and soy products, which causes the body to produce excess estrogen and can result in earlier puberty onset in girls.

Social factors - Dr. Bruce Ellis, a professor at the University of Arizona, believes that girls who are raised without fathers in the home may be more likely to start puberty earlier because of lack of pheromones, or chemicals that are emitted by biological fathers. These chemicals slow down sexual maturation in girls, and without the biological father present, girls are at risk of precocious puberty.

References

Mayo Clinic precocious puberty info -

Newsweek coming of age article -

Puberty in females facts -

Obesity and early puberty -http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11307-childhood-obesity-brings-early-puberty-for-girls.htmlhttp://www.ehow.com/facts_6021093_puberty-females.htmlhttp://www.newsweek.com/2009/01/27/coming-of-age-stories.htmlhttp://www.mayoclinic.com/health/precocious-puberty/DS00883