Early Puberty in Girls - Shorts - Brief Article

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  Jan, 2002  by Jule Klotter

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According to a study published in Pediatrics (April 1997), nearly half of black American girls and 15% of white girls begin to develop breasts and/or pubic hair by age 8. "'I don't think parents, teachers or society in general have been really thinking of children that young -- second-and third-graders -- having to deal with puberty," said the study's lead author, Marcia Herman-Giddens of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The study involved 17,000 girls, ages 3 through 12. About 1,600 (9.6 percent) were black. Information on the girls came from 65 pediatric clinics throughout the US. The study also noted that the average age for onset of menstruation among black girls (12.16 years) was four months earlier than it was 30 years ago, while the average age for white girls (12.88 years) was unchanged. Although the article mentions that environmental estrogens may be a factor in early puberty nutrition and genetics are also factors. Marcia Herman-Giddens admits that the results maybe distorted if con cern about early puberty was the reason that many of the girls were taken to their doctor.

"Many girls in puberty by age 8, study finds" by Brenda C. Coleman. Seattle post-Intelligencer, April 8, 1997

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