Why puberty begins at an increasingly early age – BBC News

"When I explained to them that 15% of girls of their age begin puberty at age 7 ] they could not believe it. "

In the past, the appearance of signs of puberty such as bad growth or pubic hair – before the age of 8 years was considered abnormal

United States at 15% of girls begin bad development at age 7 and at age 8 more than 25% start to develop bad

And this does not happen only in the United States: according to The physician and expert in Frank Biro puberty of the Center for Adolescent Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Cincinnati, we are facing a worldwide phenomenon.

Causes

"He There is no simple reason why puberty occurs at a younger age, "says Dr. Biro in an interview with BBC Mundo.

The doctor believes that puberty is ahead at less one or two years since the beginning of the 20th century, especially in girls. 659006] "At the beginning of last century began to have a better nutrition and an improvement of public health . It is at this point that the beginning of puberty begins, "says the doctor.

" But in the mid-twentieth century, and particularly over the last two decades, we began to see some very different thing. "

Fatty and Chemical Products

Frank Biro and his colleagues led researches a few years ago on precocious puberty in girls

Previous studies had already established a link between body mbad index (BMI) and the early onset of puberty, but according to Dr. Biro's badysis, the body mbad index is the most important factor. when it is necessary to explain this phenomenon [19659006] Indeed, fat is a very active hormonal gland and fat cells convert other hormones to estrogen The more fat a girl has, the greater your likelihood of starting puberty sooner. [19659006] The researchers also point out that the exposure to the el chemical elements of & # 39; environment can change the & # 39; age at which puberty begins.

Phenols, phthalates and phytoestrogens are known chemicals. Endocrine disruptors, because they interfere with the endocrine or hormonal system of the body

they are found in a wide range of consumer products, such as nail polish, perfumes, lotions and shampoos . we discovered that exposure to these chemicals was badociated with early bad development "says Dr. Biro.

Risks

Early puberty carries some risks

For starters, children with a high body mbad index are more likely likely to suffer in problems like obesity and type 2 diabetes.

And Dr. Biro points out that early menstruation is badociated with an increased risk of bad cancer.

"We must also take sociological factors, "says the doctor." We know that boys and girls who start puberty earlier are more likely to engage in risk behaviors such as smoking, drinking or drinking. druggist. "[19659006] "In fact, apparently, they were older

According to a study conducted in January in the United States, girls' precocious puberty is also linked to a greater likelihood of mental health problems, such as anxiety. and depression.

For Dr. Biro, it is a sociological problem.

"Apparently, they are older, they are treated as if they were," says the expert. "If a 12-year-old girl looks like she's 15, it's highly likely that many people will treat her as if she were 15, which can cause her many problems."

"What must be remembered is that there is a 12-year-old girl with a 12-year-old brain even though she looks older from outside. "

"What are the risks for boys who start puberty sooner?"

"Children have different pressures from girls," says the doctor. "Growing children tend to be considered leaders, although they are also likely to adopt riskier behaviors, but early puberty may be good for some children."

The good news is that is It is unlikely that the age at which puberty begins continues to decline much faster.

"There must be a biological minimum," says Dr. Biro. "And as far as girls are concerned, I do not think I can go down much more."

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