The most probable explanation for why periods and breast development might be happening younger is that girls tend to weigh more today than they did a generation ago—and this higher body fat percentage is leading to earlier activation of the pituitary gland, which produces the hormones responsible for puberty.
Researchers and physicians hypothesized about possible causes for the increase in early puberty, such as increasing rates of obesity; greater exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in food, plastics, and personal-care products; and stressful or abusive home environments.
For most children, early puberty starts for no known reason. It can run in families. Sometimes there is a problem in the brain, such as an injury, a tumor or an infection. Early puberty can also be caused by a problem in the sex glands (testes or ovaries), the thyroid gland or the adrenal glands.
“It is not uncommon for girls to start their period as young as 8 or 9,” says Dr. Sara Kreckman, UnityPoint Health pediatrician. “This can be both emotionally and mentally challenging for girls this young, as well as their parents.”
Children with precocious puberty may grow quickly at first and be tall, compared with their peers. But, because their bones mature more quickly than normal, they often stop growing earlier than usual. This can cause them to be shorter than average as adults.
High protein intake elevates IGF-1 levels and promotes growth, which could accelerate the onset of puberty. Poor diet. Children with lower-nutrient diets tend to enter puberty earlier. A diet rich in processed foods and meats, dairy, and fast food is disruptive to normal physical development.
Fact: There is no scientific evidence that drinking milk causes early puberty. In the United States, girls are entering puberty at younger ages than they were in the first half of the 20th century. Researchers do not know the exact trigger for early-onset puberty, although it is likely influenced by many factors.
The trend towards earlier puberty is often seen in connection with the parallel obesity epidemic among adolescents. Early studies on endocrine disruptors as a cause of earlier puberty onset initially shed light on the period immediately before puberty.
Addressing Physical and Mental Changes of Early Puberty
Your child may have a noticeable growth spurt because of their early puberty, but one of its complications is an abrupt and early end of that growth, leading to short stature as an adult.
But it's perfectly normal for puberty to begin at any point between the ages of 8 and 13 in girls and 9 and 14 in boys. There's not usually any need to worry if puberty does not start around the average age, but it's a good idea to speak to your GP for advice if it starts before 8 or has not started by around 14.
When your daughter starts to go through puberty, her gonads (ovaries) and adrenal glands (glands that sit on top of the kidneys) release hormones. These hormones cause the first signs of puberty, which are breast development, body odor, underarm hair, pubic hair and acne (pimples).
Providers can treat precocious puberty—marked by breast development before age 8 or testes growth before age 9—with hormonal suppressants, also called puberty blockers. With supervision, these reversible drugs safely and effectively delay a child's development until they're ready.
Adrenarche is usually normal in girls who are at least 8 years old, and boys who are at least 9 years old. Even when pubic and underarm hair appear in children younger than this, it is still usually nothing to worry about, but your child does need to see their pediatrician for an exam.
Most cases of early puberty cannot be prevented. Limiting your child's exposure to reproductive hormones from outside sources may prevent precocious puberty. These sources may include estrogen or testosterone creams, lotions, or other medications.
Growing pubic hair
Her first period usually arrives around one to two years after pubic hair starts growing.
Furthermore, the intake of both total sugar and added sugar within SSBs increased risk of early puberty in girls but not in boys.
Most girls start their sexual development between the ages of 8 and 13 (the average age is 12), and have a growth spurt between the ages of 10 and 14.
There's no set time for girls to begin shaving. You can start shaving when you feel you have enough hair growth on your legs and/or armpits to shave it off. Talk to some women in your family -- perhaps your mother, an older sister who has already started shaving, your favorite aunt, or someone else you trust.
Scientists have suggested that a deficiency of vitamin A may contribute to a delay in the onset of puberty by decreasing the secretion of growth hormone, leading to slowed growth. Iron is also necessary for normal growth, and it enhances the effect of vitamin A in the treatment of certain conditions.
When your child's period is coming, they might have a range of physical symptoms, including sore breasts, pimples and greasy hair. Your child might also have a sore tummy, feel sick or have diarrhoea. Period pain and these associated symptoms are common.
to be linked to a suppression of the activity of neurons involved in releasing a hormone that triggers the ovulation process (menstruation). The researchers concluded that these results suggest that vitamin D may inhibit early pubertal onset and/or the rapid progression of puberty.
Pubic hair – Once her pubic hair starts growing, you can expect her period to develop in one to two years.
Scientists have been taking a closer look at this stage and believe children start experiencing a surge of hormones between the ages of 6 and 8, which can cause heightened emotions.