early bloomers
Are young girls and boys today reaching
the average age of the onset of puberty declines. Healthcare
puberty prematurely—and what can
providers and parents are grappling with what to do about it.
parents do to slow the process?
In February, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences published a
by Lisa Marshall
sweeping multi-study review in the journal, Pediatrics, conclud-
ing, “Data are sufficient to suggest” that girls are indeed getting
their periods and developing breasts far earlier, and that envi-
F
or Emily de Reyna, the first signs of womanhood came mys- ronmental factors likely play a significant role.
teriously early. At age 4, the New York preschooler began to Researchers noted that premature puberty can have seri-
develop breasts. By 6, she had underarm hair, body odor and ous public health consequences, including a greater risk of
monthly mood swings. Before she graduated from kindergar- breast cancer in girls and heightened risk of testicular cancer in
ten, the possibility of an early menstruation loomed. boys, plus higher risk of Type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome
Warned that Emily’s premature puberty could result in a and cardiovascular diseases. In addition, children who enter
host of health woes, including stunted growth, psychological puberty earlier face a host of psychological struggles, and are at
problems and increased risk of certain cancers, her parents risk of “early sexual debut and potential abuse.”
faced a painful decision: either take a wait-and-see approach The report was the latest in a series of studies to spotlight
and face the consequences, or give Emily monthly injections of a disturbing trend to which anyone visiting a public swimming
a hormone suppressant that would stall for time. pool or shopping mall can attest: kids are growing up faster
“In my eyes, I could not have my kindergartner going than ever.
through puberty,” says Emily’s mother, Denise de Reyna, who According to a study published last year in the Journal of
reluctantly opted to put Emily on medication. “She had already Adolescent Health, the average age of a girl’s first menstrual pe-
lost some of her childhood, and I would be sadder if she had riod has declined from 13.3 years, in women born prior to 1920,
lost more.” to 12.4 years in those born after 1980. Another landmark study
Developing Trend of 17,000 girls, published in Pediatrics a decade ago, found that
According to researchers, physicians and parent advo- one percent of Caucasian girls and three percent of African-
cacy groups, stories like Emily’s are growing more common, as American girls now begin developing breasts and/or pubic hair
36 Broward County
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