According to a new JAMA study, the average age of a girl’s first period has dropped to 11.9 years. The study also found that the rate of first periods occurring early (younger than 11) and very early (younger than nine) has roughly doubled.
Girls in the United States had their first periods earlier over the last five decades and it took longer to experience regular cycles, a new study has found. The study began in 2019, where researchers from Harvard and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) surveyed more than 71,000 participants.
Early physiological development can also have dramatic social impacts, because it does not coincide with early cognitive development. Children who experience early puberty are at increased risks for sexual violence, sexually transmitted infections and early pregnancy. Further, girls experiencing early menses may still be in primary school, as early as third or fourth grade.
An early period can have lifelong implications. The onset of puberty fuses growth plates, meaning people who hit puberty early may not reach their maximum genetic height. It can also elevate women’s risk of cardiovascular diseases and breast cancer.
Early puberty is also associated with increased risk of depression, anxiety, substance abuse and suicidal behaviours.
What’s causing early puberty in girls?
Many factors influence the onset of puberty, but the exact reasons for menarche and breast development at younger ages is debated. One hypothesis is that higher body fat percentage triggers the pituitary gland to produce puberty hormones. Other research has shown that body mass index is the greatest predictor of early menses. Scientists reason that a greater prevalence of childhood obesity may explain the higher proportion of girls getting early periods.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals from plastics and petrochemical pollution are found in a wide array of consumer goods – including pesticides, construction materials, furniture, children’s toys, fabrics and cosmetics. Most remain unregulated despite scientists’ warnings about potential negative effects on human health.
Avoiding early puberty
Foetal hormones are impacted on during pregnancy. Having an awareness of the impact of environmental toxins and chemicals which affect hormones is essential.
This awareness needs to be continued after birth and throughout your child’s life in order to avoid the challenges of early puberty, but also a myriad of health complications.
Get your copy of “How to Have a Healthy Baby” today and be equipped to positively affect the health of your baby – throughout its entire life.
