A
few decades ago, doctors were taught that less than 5% of girls should be
showing such signs of puberty before age 8 - now studies show 25% of African American girls, 15% Hispanic
girls and 10% of Caucasian girls show signs by age 7. Early puberty carries risks for girls'
psychological and physical health, sometimes long after they have grown into
adult women. It's associated with a higher risk for depression, anxiety, body
image issues, eating disorders, the early onset of sexual activity, and
substance use (especially alcohol). There are also links to metabolic
disorders, obesity, heart disease, diabetes, higher risk later in life for
breast cancer and cardiovascular problems. What
can parents do? It appears that a really strong, safe family context seems to
mitigate all or most of early puberty's short-term risks for adolescents.
That's of immense importance for girls who are in early development. Read the complete article at -- http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/puberty-beginning-earlier-girls-so-what-can-parents-do-180953738/
