by age three. By eight, roughly half of African-American girls
and 15 percent of Caucasian girls show signs of sexual develop-
ment. Overall, African-American girls currently begin puberty
between ages eight and nine; Caucasian girls by ten—as much
as a full year earlier than they did in the 1960s.
One federally funded study of more than 2,000 boys
in 2001 suggests that they, too, are maturing earlier. Thirty
percent of Caucasians, 38 percent of African-Americans and
27 percent of Latinos show some genital development by age
eight. Average age for the appearance of pubic hair is between
11 and 12.
Societal Response
In order to quiet parental fears and prevent unnecessary
treatment with potentially dangerous medications, authorities
in the pediatrics community have responded to the trend by
lowering the age defining ‘normal’ puberty.
They say that parents need not be concerned if a girl of
eight or nine develops pubic hair or breasts. So, today, puberty
is deemed ‘precocious,’ or early enough to warrant medical at-
tention, only if it occurs before age seven in Caucasian girls, age
six in African-American girls, or age nine in boys.
But others have taken a more thoughtful approach.
They are urgently calling for more research to determine the
cause of the trend and what, if anything, can be done about it.
“To me, it is a critical and crucial public health issue,” said
Marcia Herman-Giddens, adjunct professor of public health
at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She was lead
author of two of the key studies cited.
“An 8-year-old girl with breasts still wants to be playing
with dolls,” observes Herman-Giddens. “In a sense, these kids
lose their childhood.”
Search for a cause
While some cases of early-onset puberty—particularly
in boys—can be attributed to anatomical problems, like a
tumor on the pituitary gland, the vast majority of cases remain
unexplained. But a growing body of research suggests that our
sedentary lifestyle and obsession with super-sizing may be to
blame.
“During the same time that this trend has been taking
place, we have had an epidemic of obesity in this country,” says
Paul Kaplowitz, Ph.D., a medical doctor, chief of endocrinology
at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. and
author of Early Puberty in Girls: The Essential Guide to Coping with
this Common Problem.
Many studies already have documented a link between
being overweight and early onset of menstruation. Kaplowitz
has found that being just 10 percent overweight increases
the chances of early breast and pubic hair development. He
believes the fat cells’ production of the hormone leptin, which
regulates appetite, but which is also a critical player in the bio-
chemical cascade that prompts puberty, could play a role.
Another recent study, presented at The Endocrine Society’s
annual meeting, suggested that women who eat a very high-
fat diet during pregnancy may also influence the timing of their
child’s puberty—prompting it to come early.
Sherrill Sellman, a naturopathic doctor and author of
What Women Must Know to Protect Their Daughters from Breast
Cancer, blames a variety of factors, and believes the medical
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