Breasts at six, periods at age seven.
Doctors say early hormonal changes could be due to reasons like childhood obesity, exposure to chemicals, and hormones in food, and poor diet.
Precocious Puberty occurs when puberty begins before the age of eight in girls or nine in boys. While some cases stem from serious conditions like tumors, most are idiopathic and treatable. Cases of early puberty are more than just a statistical anomaly. “Many more girls are being referred for precocious puberty now, especially post-Covid. Rising obesity, exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and even the use of hormones in poultry and pesticides are contributing factors.”
WEIGHT GAIN CAN BE A RED FLAG:-
“Babies born small often grow quickly, and if they become overweight in childhood, it can push them into early, rapidly progressive puberty.”
Lifestyle and diet play a huge role in the early onset of puberty. “Over the last two decades we’ve seen the average of puberty drop, and a lot of it can be traced to changes in our diets –more processed foods, high in fats and carbohydrates, with little to no regulation on additives.”
“Kids are spending more time in front of screens and less time playing outside. Hormonal changes from excessive screen exposure, paired with diets that often include hormone-treated poultry and milk, are contributing to this phenomenon.”
BOYS GROW UP FASTER TOO:-
While the condition is less common in boys, there has been a noticeable shift in their development as well. “In the past, boys would experience voice changes and facial hair growth between 16 and 18. Now, we see this happening a couple of years earlier.”
“Research has also shown associations between precocious puberty and exposure to increased particulate matter, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, climate change effects on hormones and mycotoxins in foods like cereals.”
EARLY DETECTION IS KEY:-
“Parents need to be vigilant. Signs like early breast development, rapid growth spurts, or body hair hair should prompt a visit to to a paediatric endocrinologist.”
