- WASHINGTON (Reuters Health)
- Scientists have known for several years that girls and boys are reaching
puberty earlier, but they still don't know why this is happening, or what
the consequences might be, experts said at a forum here Monday.
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- In 1997, a landmark study of 17,000 girls found that
the average starting age of puberty had dipped a year from previous studies
of Caucasian girls, to 9.7 years.
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- African-American girls hit puberty even earlier, at an
average age of about 8, said Marcia Herman-Giddens, principal author of
that study and a professor at the University of North at Carolina Chapel
Hill.
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- Data on when puberty starts has been skimpy over the
years--especially for African Americans. But, said Herman-Giddens, ``I'm
confident that this trend is a real trend,'' adding that adolescence seems
to be starting earlier and lasting longer in children worldwide. She is
currently analyzing data on American boys.
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- ``What we're seeing is a symptom of a very serious public
health problem,'' said Herman-Giddens, noting that the long term physical
and mental health impact of early puberty are not understood.
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- Being obese or overweight, which has been associated
with premature puberty, may be one potential cause. Others include genetics,
low birthweight, poor diet, lack of activity, and surprisingly, an absentee
father or a non-relative male in the house have also been offered as explanations.
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- Scientists have also been exploring whether so-called
''endocrine disrupters''--a group of chemicals thought to interfere with
hormonal function--might be spurring or delaying puberty, said Herman-Giddens.
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- John Peterson Myers, director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation
and author of a book on chemical contamination and fetal development, said
some of these chemicals have retarded sexual development in rat fetuses.
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- Among the most controversial of these chemicals are phthalate
esters, which are found in toys, vinyl flooring, detergents, and cosmetics
and lotions. The chemical and cosmetics industry says phthalates have been
proven safe and that they have no role in causing early puberty.
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- ``The science is not certain, but there is a plausible
link,'' contends Myers.Diana Zuckerman, executive director of the National
Center for Policy Research for Women & Families, said she worries about
the psychological impact of early puberty on young girls.
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- Previous studies have shown that girls who develop at
a young age begin dating earlier, have sex sooner, are subject to more
psychological stress, more behavioral problems, and were more likely to
drink and smoke, said Zuckerman.
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- ``No matter what they look like, they are still little
girls,'' she said. Zuckerman also added that early puberty places additional
stress on parents who have to explain sexuality at a younger age.
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