X
theAsianparent Logo
theAsianparent Logo
Product GuideSign in
  • Awards
    • Parents' Choice Awards 2023
  • Pregnancy
    • Due date calculator
    • I'm pregnant
    • Trying To Conceive
    • Labour
    • After birth
    • Baby loss
  • Parenting
    • Parent's Guide
    • Relationship & Sex
  • Child
    • Newborn
    • Baby
    • Toddler
    • Pre-Schooler
    • Kid
    • Pre-Teen & Teen
  • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diseases-Injuries
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Meal Planner
    • Health
    • Allergies & Conditions
    • Vaccinations
  • Education
    • Pre-School
    • Primary School
    • Secondary School
    • Primary School Directory
  • Lifestyle
    • Money
    • Travel & Leisure
    • Fashion
    • Home
    • Fitness
    • Contests & promotions
  • News
    • International
    • Health
    • Celebrity
    • Singapore
  • TAP Recommends
  • Shopping
  • Press Releases
  • Project Sidekicks
  • Community
  • Advertise With Us
  • Contact Us
  • Become A Contributor
  • VIP

Why is Puberty Starting Earlier Than Ever for Girls?

3 min read

On the average, girls start showing signs of puberty around the age of 9. But according to researchers, puberty appears to be starting earlier in healthy girls, and possibly even boys. Some medical practitioners are beginning to test girls as young as 6 for signs of puberty.

“In general, we think that 7 is now probably a normal age to have some signs of puberty,” pediatric endocrinologist Louise Greenspan tells The Wall Street Journal. “So the cutoff for precocious puberty is a gray zone now.”

Precocious puberty is the medical term for early puberty that occurs in girls under 8 and boys under 9.

precocious puberty

Possible causes of precocious puberty

Childhood obesity
Plenty of experts say that the earlier onset of puberty in girls is largely due to increasing childhood obesity rates. Body fat releases estrogen, causing the start of breast development.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals
Though this is yet to be proved, a larger BMI may be caused by endocrine-disrupting chemicals like phthalates, which are often used in the production of plastics, and phenols, and are used in many sanitizers and sunscreen.

Prenatal factors
Studies have found that mothers who were overweight before pregnancy and developed gestational diabetes when pregnant gave birth to daughters who started puberty earlier.

Stress
Other studies have found that toxic stress may also play a role in precocious puberty in girls. “Girls who grow up in families with a lot of strife or violence in their neighborhood are more likely to develop earlier,” Dr. Greenspan says. Her research found that girls who grew up without a biological father are twice as likely to get their period before age 12.

Why should we be worried about early puberty? How do we prevent it? Find out about the health consequences and avoidance tips on the next page.

Health consequences of precocious puberty

Should we worry that puberty is starting earlier for many girls? There are plenty of health consequences associated with early puberty: early-maturing girls have a higher risk of depression; obesity; diabetes; breast cancer; and risk-taking behavior like substance abuse, smoking, and earlier engagement in sexual behaviors.

Partner Stories
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Great ideas for gifts for Chinese New Year 2023!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Learn Tech and Media Skills, Gain Industry Exposure and Build a Portfolio. Here’s How Your Child Can Benefit from an Infocomm or Media CCA!
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Korean Stars Take Center Stage at Disney Content Showcase in Singapore
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind
Health is Your Greatest Wealth. Learn How Your CPF Savings Can Safeguard Your Healthcare Needs and Provide Peace of Mind

Precocious puberty avoidance

For parents worried about early puberty, it’s best to:

  • make sure that your children are eating healthy and get enough exercise
  • avoid products without phthalates or parabens
  • avoid microwaving plastic.
  • eat organic when possible (insecticides and pesticides may have endocrine-disrupting chemicals)
  • eat a diet rich in fiber (fiber has been proven to delay puberty)

Be sure to check out theAsianparent Community for more insightful stories, questions, and answers from parents and experts alike. If you have any insights, questions or comments regarding the topic, please share them in our Comment box below.

Got a parenting concern? Read articles or ask away and get instant answers on our app. Download theAsianparent Community on iOS or Android now!

img
Written by

Cristina Morales

  • Home
  • /
  • Development
  • /
  • Why is Puberty Starting Earlier Than Ever for Girls?
Share:
  • Personal Care Products Used by Pregnant Mums Can Cause Early Puberty in Their Kids

    Personal Care Products Used by Pregnant Mums Can Cause Early Puberty in Their Kids

  • 8 Ways To Maximise Your Daughter's Growth During Puberty!

    8 Ways To Maximise Your Daughter's Growth During Puberty!

  • Study: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters

    Study: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

  • Personal Care Products Used by Pregnant Mums Can Cause Early Puberty in Their Kids

    Personal Care Products Used by Pregnant Mums Can Cause Early Puberty in Their Kids

  • 8 Ways To Maximise Your Daughter's Growth During Puberty!

    8 Ways To Maximise Your Daughter's Growth During Puberty!

  • Study: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters

    Study: Nagging Mothers with High Expectations Raise Successful Daughters

  • 'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

    'Family is Priceless': Malaysian Man in Singapore Rents 2 Buses So He and 60 Other Strangers Can Join Their Families for CNY

Get advice on your pregnancy and growing baby. Sign up for our newsletter
  • Pregnancy
    • Baby
    • Education
    • Events
    • Allergies & Conditions
  • Family Occasions
    • Breastfeeding & Formula
    • Child Safety
    • Health
    • Diseases-Injuries
  • Lifestyle
    • Home
    • Money
    • Feeding & Nutrition
    • Diet & Weightloss
  • Normal Delivery
    • Cesarean Delivery
    • Behaviour
    • Secondary School
    • Formula Feeding
  • Ages & Stages
    • Latching & Concerns
    • Festivals & Holidays
    • Education
    • Pre-teen & Teen
  • More
    • TAP Community
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contact Us
    • Become a Contributor


  • Singapore flag Singapore
  • Thailand flag Thailand
  • Indonesia flag Indonesia
  • Philippines flag Philippines
  • Malaysia flag Malaysia
  • Sri-Lanka flag Sri Lanka
  • India flag India
  • Vietnam flag Vietnam
  • Australia flag Australia
  • Japan flag Japan
  • Nigeria flag Nigeria
  • Kenya flag Kenya
© Copyright theAsianparent 2023. All rights reserved
About Us|Team|Privacy Policy|Terms of Use |Sitemap HTML
  • Tools
  • Articles
  • Feed
  • Poll

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Learn MoreOk, Got it

theAsianparent heart icon
We’d like to send you notifications for the latest news and lifestyle updates.