Four Articles from a Press Briefing 7feb01

Early Onset Puberty

Marcia Herman-Giddens, Pete Myers and Diana Zuckerman.

Ever-Younger Puberty Puzzles Researchers 

Reuters Health 7feb01

WASHINGTON - Scientists have known for several years that girls and boys are reaching puberty earlier, but they still don't know why this is happening, or what the consequences might be, experts said at a forum here Monday.

In 1997, a landmark study of 17,000 girls found that the average starting age of puberty had dipped a year from previous studies of Caucasian girls, to 9.7 years.

African-American girls hit puberty even earlier, at an average age of about 8, said Marcia Herman-Giddens, principal author of that study and a professor at the University of North at Carolina Chapel Hill.

Data on when puberty starts has been skimpy over the years--especially for African Americans. But, said Herman-Giddens, ``I'm confident that this trend is a real trend,'' adding that adolescence seems to be starting earlier and lasting longer in children worldwide. She is currently analyzing data on American boys.

``What we're seeing is a symptom of a very serious public health problem,'' said Herman-Giddens, noting that the long term physical and mental health impact of early puberty are not understood.

Being obese or overweight, which has been associated with premature puberty, may be one potential cause. Others include genetics, low birthweight, poor diet, lack of activity, and surprisingly, an absentee father or a non-relative male in the house have also been offered as explanations.

Scientists have also been exploring whether so-called ''endocrine disrupters''--a group of chemicals thought to interfere with hormonal function--might be spurring or delaying puberty, said Herman-Giddens.

John Peterson Myers, director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation and author of a book on chemical contamination and fetal development, said some of these chemicals have retarded sexual development in rat fetuses.

Among the most controversial of these chemicals are phthalate esters, which are found in toys, vinyl flooring, detergents, and cosmetics and lotions. The chemical and cosmetics industry says phthalates have been proven safe and that they have no role in causing early puberty.

``The science is not certain, but there is a plausible link,'' contends Myers. Diana Zuckerman, executive director of the National Center for Policy Research for Women & Families, said she worries about the psychological impact of early puberty on young girls.

Previous studies have shown that girls who develop at a young age begin dating earlier, have sex sooner, are subject to more psychological stress, more behavioral problems, and were more likely to drink and smoke, said Zuckerman.

``No matter what they look like, they are still little girls,'' she said. Zuckerman also added that early puberty places additional stress on parents who have to explain sexuality at a younger age.

Early onset of puberty worries some experts 

JOYCE FRIEDEN, UPI  7feb01

WASHINGTON -- More attention needs to be paid to the reasons for the increasingly early onset of puberty in girls and the problems it causes, a panel of experts said at a press conference Wednesday.

"This is a serious public health issue," said Marcia Herman-Giddens, a senior fellow at the North Carolina Child Advocacy Institute, in Raleigh. "Pubertal data should be collected on a regular basis, at least once every 10 years."

Herman-Giddens is the author of an article published in the journal Pediatrics several years ago asserting that while the average age of the onset of menstruation -- 12.88 years -- has not changed in white American girls, it has dropped by several months from 12.52 years to 12.16 years in African-American girls in the last 30 years.

Furthermore, Herman-Giddens said, early signs of puberty, such as breast and pubic hair development, are occurring at earlier ages than they did a few decades ago, especially in African-American girls.

For example, 27 percent of African-American girls, as well as 7 percent of white girls, had either breast development or pubic hair by the time they were 7 years of age. By age 9, 77 percent of African-American girls had one of those two signs of puberty, as did 32 percent of white girls.

These changes can be very disconcerting at such an early age, said Diana Zuckerman, executive director of the National Center for Policy Research for Women and Families, in Washington. "No matter what they look like, they are little girls," she said. "How will they deal with the confusing feelings on their bodies and themselves, and with their affect on older boys and men?"

Girls who menstruate earlier tend to date earlier, have sex earlier, and experience more psychological stress, she added.

Herman-Giddens listed a variety of possible causes of this phenomenon, including obesity, diet, absent fathers, and the presence of unrelated males in the household, which could lead to increased release of pheromones. Obesity is a prime suspect, "especially since we are in the middle of an obesity epidemic right now," she said. "The percentage of girls who are obese has doubled for white girls since the 1960s, and tripled for African-Americans."

John Peterson "Pete" Myers, director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation, in Charlottesville, Va., said the early onset of puberty may be due to chemicals in the environment.

"Contamination in the womb can speed or retard sexual development," Myers said. "These compounds interfere with hormones that control the pace and pattern of development." Chemicals that are suspected as having effects on sexual development include bisphenol A and polybrominated biphenyls, chemicals found in plastic, and phthalates, which are found in cosmetics.

The chemical and cosmetic industries were quick to refute the statements made by Myers, who is the author of a book on the subject of hormone-disrupting chemicals.

"There is a considerable body of scientific research that indicates that phthalate esters are not the cause of early puberty, " read a stated from the American Chemistry Council, which was handed out to reporters before the press conference.

The Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association put out a statement noting that "Phthalates were reviewed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, an independent body that reviews the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics. CIR found them to be safe for use in cosmetics."

Dr. Vic Strasburger, chief of the division of adolescent medicine at the University of New Mexico, in Albuquerque, said that more research should be done to find out why girls seem to be entering puberty at a younger age.

"From a number of studies, entering puberty early is good only for males," said Strasburger, who was not on the panel. "For females, it's better to hit the median age of pubertal development. We need the data on how big of a problem this is, and we need to decide how cost effective it is to try to slow down early puberty, if that's even an option."

Are girls developing sexual characteristics too fast?

Researchers want to do more studies to find out what might be causing this phenomenon.

Early Puberty Why Are Young Girls Developing So Fast?

Robin Eisner / ABCNews.com 7feb01

NEW YORK -- "One day a few years ago, Marilyn Saunders noticed that her 8 ½-year-old daughter Susan was starting to develop small breasts and pubic hair.

It seemed odd to Saunders (not her real name), a 43-year-old mother from New York's Long Island, since she herself didn't mature until she was older.

Her doctor told her not to worry: Early onset of puberty is now considered the norm by most pediatricians.

Early Puberty in Girls Is Norm According to research first published in the medical journal Pediatrics in April of 1997, the age of the onset of puberty is getting earlier for girls, with the average age of either breasts or pubic hair showing up as 9.7 years for Caucasians and 8.1 years for African-Americans.

Before this study of 17,000 girls ” evaluated by their pediatricians during routine examinations ” the norm for puberty onset was considered to be 11 years old, or one year later for white girls and two years later for African-Americans.

In October 1999, a group of pediatricians redefined when puberty occurs in girls, so doctors could better identify when it was abnormal.

What can be causing this premature pubescence? Researchers have many theories, including an increase in obesity among children, low birth weight, absent fathers, unrelated males in the household, a sedentary lifestyle, chemicals that act as endocrine disrupters and the sexualization of children by the media.

Causes May Include Obesity, Chemicals and Sex on TV Some research indicates that overweight girls have a tendency to reach puberty earlier. Other work indicates girls may be exposed to pheromones, or sexual hormones, from unrelated men, such as stepfathers, prompting them to sexual development. Children who live in families without fathers may be experiencing stress, bringing about early puberty. Another theory is that the increase in images of sex on television fosters sexual maturity, in a way that food stimulates salivation.

The picture is more complicated than a single cause or a single effect, says Jeffrey Peterson Myers, director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation and co-author of Our Stolen Future, a book on endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Myers spoke today at news conference on this issue in Washington. There are different factors playing a different role in different people.

Researchers convened the news conference to bring attention to parents, educators, pediatricians and others, about this issue. They also called for more studies to understand how these different factors might be contributing to this problem.

"No one can really think that little girls in second or third or fourth grade should be developing breasts," says Diana Zuckerman, a psychologist and executive director of the National Center for Policy Researcher for Women and Families.

This is the age, she says, when youngsters are being taught how many quarters are in a dollar. "These are young kids," she says.

"How can you begin to explain to them why some of them might becoming moody or looking different?" says Zuckerman. "Or why are older boys might be interested in them or why are teenagers being nice? Are they flirting or coming on? Even adult women sometimes have problems with these issues.

If these children do not become aware of their blossoming sexuality, then they might become victims of sexual predators who see them as vulnerable, Zuckerman says.

Saunders says she still has difficulties talking to her daughter about sex. Her daughter is still so sheltered or emotionally immature that she cannot understand how someone could have a baby outside of marriage.

More Research Needs to Be Done Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, an adjunct professor in public health at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health who authored the landmark study, says the psychological effects of early onset puberty need to be studied and data should be collected every 10 years to understand if the age is stabilizing or dropping. "This is a serious public health issue," Herman-Giddens says. We don't know about the sexual urges of 7- and 8-year-old girls and how they might affect their mental health."

Zuckerman highlighted studies indicating psychological problems in girls who experienced early menstruation as a way to get a handle on what might be happening. Herman-Giddens did not find that menstruation started earlier in her population of girls, except among the African-American population. The age of the first periods for Caucasian girls was 12.8 years; for African- Americans, it was about six months earlier.

In a study of 6- to 11-year-old girls, those who matured earlier were more depressed, aggressive, socially withdrawn and had more sleep problems than those who hadn't. Another study of 1,700 high school girls revealed that earlier menstruation was linked to drinking smoking, substance abuse, lower self-esteem and suicide attempts.

Whether boys are experiencing this early puberty is unknown. Research is ongoing about this question.

Myers says if research finds that some chemicals are contributing to early puberty, manufacturers might be apt to change the products they offer to consumers. Some studies in animals, he says, reveal that exposure to certain chemicals in the womb can lead to early sexual maturity later on. Other studies have indicated an association between exposure to certain chemicals called phthalates, found in plastics and cosmetics, and early breast development.

The cosmetics and plastics industries call their products safe.

Some Question if Early Puberty Is Real But some pediatricians question the new puberty norm. Dr. Robert Rosenfield, professor of medicine and pediatrics at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, challenges the methodology of the 1997 study, calling it biased in having too many girls with early puberty problems.

"The study was not done in a random fashion," Rosenfield says. "The children were kids brought into a pediatrician's office. Early cases of puberty might be over-represented in the sample. Parents might have brought children in with a cold or a rash, but might have really been more concerned about early development of breasts or pubic hair. A better study would have selected participants from the general population, he says.

Rosenfield says while most of these children may be all right by developing early, others may have some other medical condition that needs further study. Tumors and over-secretion of hormones by the adrenal gland can also lead to early development.

He agrees more research should be done to see if what Herman-Giddens found is real, but adds increasing childhood obesity may be a significant factor contributing to this issue.

While Saunders' daughter is coping well with her early sexuality, her mother says she fears other parents promote teenage behavior in younger girls by allowing them to date and wear skimpy outfits.

"I think kids should be kids," Saunders says. "They should be riding their bikes, playing, enjoying school and sports. They are innocent and should not being subject to the pressures of a teenager."

Early Puberty Statistics

According to the 1997 Pediatrics study, these are some of the numbers for early puberty:

• The average age of breast development in African-American girls is 8.9 years; for white girls, it's around 10 years.

• The average age of pubic hair in African-American girls is 8.8 years; in white girls, it's around 10.5 years.

• Breast and/or pubic hair development occurs, on average, in African-American girls at 8.1 years of age and in white girls at 9.7 years of age.

• Approximately 27 percent of African-American girls who are 7 years old have either breast or pubic hair development; the comparable number for white girls is 7 percent. These girls are usually in second grade.

• Approximately 50 percent of African-American girls between the ages of 8 and 9 have either breasts or pubic hair; the comparable number for white girls is 15 percent. These girls are usually in third grade.

Common Chemicals Cited in Early Puberty

Cox News Service 7feb01

WASHINGTON- Chemicals found in common items such as plastics and cosmetics are among the factors believed to cause early puberty in young girls, scientific experts said Wednesday.

These chemicals, along with several other possible factors such as genetics, may be contributing to the phenomenon of girls around the age of 8 _ and in extreme cases, age 3 _ developing breasts and pubic hair, the scientists said at a news conference sponsored by Environmental Media Services.

A study by Dr. Marcia Herman-Giddens involving 17,000 girls who were seeing pediatricians across the country revealed that early puberty is no longer uncommon. By 8-years-old, 48 percent of black girls and 15 percent of white girls show clear signs of puberty.

This early onset of womanhood can have both physical and mental consequences, said Dr. Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Policy Research for Women and Families.

One study Zuckerman cited states that girls who experience the early stages of puberty before the age of 9 were "more likely to be depressed, aggressive, socially withdrawn, have sleeping problems, and report obsessive behavior."

Dr. John P. Myers, director of the W. Alton Jones Foundation and co-author of Our Stolen Future, said animal experiments have linked early puberty in mice to exposure to common chemicals such as bisphenol A _ used in polycarbonate plastic, such as food and drink containers _ and phthalate esters which are found in cosmetic and beauty products, especially hair and nail products.

The American Plastics Council, released a statement challenging Myers' claims.

"Any association between (premature sexual maturation) and exposure from consumer products made of polycarbonate is unfounded...Over the last 40 years, polycarbonate has been roughly tested by both government and industry researchers," the council said.

Herman-Giddens said no one is trying to point fingers, but that scientists and industry should try to work together to determine the causes of premature puberty.

"We will never come up with a single cause," she said.

Several other factors, including obesity, genetics, and even media influence are all being looked at.

Zuckerman, the psychologist, said one point should be remembered: "No matter how old they look, they're really little girls."

• Environmental Media Services- www.ems.org

• American Plastics Council- www.plastics.org

• Phthalate Esters Panel of the American Chemistry Council- www.phthalates.org

• National Center for Policy Research for Women and Families- www. cpr4womenandfamilies.org

• Angel Wilson's e-mail address is angelw@coxnews.com

Contact:
Amy Kostant
Program Director
Environmental Media Services
ph: 202-463-6670
fax: 202-463-6671
amyk@ems.org