Girls are starting puberty younger - why, and what are the risks?

"When Lola was eight years old, she went through a massive growth spurt and started developing acne. Her mother, Elise, thought Lola was just growing fast because of genes inherited from her father. But when she noticed that Lola had grown pubic hair too, she was floored. A visit to an endocrinologist in 2023 confirmed that Lola's brain was already producing hormones that had kick-started puberty."

"Lola had also been struggling emotionally. "She would have panic attacks every day at school," says Elise, who lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and asked that her surname and Lola's real name be omitted. Although eight might seem young to start puberty, it's not as rare as it once was. Data show that girls around the world are entering puberty younger than before. In the 1840s, the average age of first menstruation, or menarche, was about 16 or 17; today, it's around 12."

Girls are beginning puberty at younger ages globally, with historical declines in menarche and breast development ages. Average age of first menstruation fell from about 16–17 in the 1840s to around 12 today. Onset of breast development dropped from about 11 in the 1960s to roughly 9–10 in the United States by the 1990s. Some data suggest an acceleration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Increasing body weight and obesity almost certainly contribute. Exposure to hormone-disrupting chemicals and childhood stress are suspected contributors but study results conflict. Clinical guidelines are being revisited to redefine and manage early puberty thresholds.

Read at Nature