Early Puberty: What does it mean for tomorrow’s women?
Abnormal sexual development from unclear cause, environmental changes suspected. According to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics, 1 in 10 girls in second and third grade, of Caucasian descent, showed stage 2 breast development (small mounds of tissue under the nipple area), which is considered the first sign of sexual maturation. This is an increase of two hundred percent since the 1980s. For African American girls, the increase is even more alarming, with nearly one in four 7 and 8 year-olds showing the early breast signs. The causes are unclear, but suspects include: Pthallates, compounds that make their…