Puberty Before Age 10: A New ‘Normal’?

©Elinor Carucci for The New York Times
Ainsley, who began showing signs of puberty at age 6, and her mother.
By ELIZABETH WEIL
Published: March 30, 2012

One day last year when her daughter, Ainsley, was 9, Tracee Sioux pulled her out of her elementary school in Fort Collins, Colo., and drove her an hour south, to Longmont, in hopes of finding a satisfying reason that Ainsley began growing pubic hair at age 6.

Fed up with mainstream physicians, Tracee began pursuing less conventional options. She tried giving Ainsley diindolylmethane, or DIM, a supplement that may or may not help a body balance its hormones. She also started a blog, the Girl Revolution, with a mission to “revolutionize the way we think about, treat and raise girls,” and the accompanying T.G.R. Body line of sunscreens and lotions marketed to tweens and described by Tracee as “natural, organic, craptastic-free products” containing “no estrogens, phytoestrogens, endocrine disrupters.”

None of this stopped Ainsley’s body from maturing ahead of its time.

Link to 'The Girl Revolution'

This is a VERY long article (7 pages) but I encourage you all to read it.

Finally, he asked Ainsley to sit up. “It doesn’t test like it’s her own estrogens,” Allomong reported to Tracee, meaning he didn’t think Ainsley’s ovaries were producing too many hormones on their own. “I think it’s xeno-estrogens, from the environment,” he explained. “And I think it’s stress and insulin and sugar.”

It seems that these xeno-estrogens can come in a variety of materials such as fire retardants, plastics....

One concern, among parents and researchers, is the effect of simultaneous exposures to many estrogen-mimics, including the compound BPA, which is ubiquitous. Ninety-three percent of Americans have traces of BPA in their bodies. BPA was first made in 1891 and used as a synthetic estrogen in the 1930s. In the 1950s commercial manufacturers started putting BPA in hard plastics. Since then BPA has been found in many common products, including dental sealants and cash-register receipts. More than a million pounds of the substance are released into the environment each year.

As one gets older one realises that childhood is a precious thing. Whilst as a child many cannot wait to become adults, they soon realise that being an adult carries responsibilities and burdens and actually childhood was relatively speaking in the greater scheme of things carefree.

As a father and grandfather ( 4 girls approaching this age) I would be very much saddened if my granddaughters were to lose a part of their childhood and their growing up as a result of poisons/chemicals and plain and simple 'waste' oestrogen that we happily place into our environment with little of no thought for the future and the problems these may cause.

The article goes on to say that this can also be caused by social factors and stresses and that

Evolutionary psychology offers a theory: A stressful childhood inclines a body toward early reproduction

That I do agree with as Mother Nature still has a big hand in the way we function as animals and stressful times require more reproduction to ensure the survival of the species.

But it is also a sad indictment of our social structure that the family unit is destined for the 'bin' and that family disruption may aid this early onset of puberty. Having chemicals in the environment that contribute as well in no way helps.

We know that girls who develop ahead of their peers tend to have lower self-esteem, more depression and more eating disorders. They start drinking and lose their virginity sooner. They have more sexual partners and more sexually transmitted diseases. “You can almost predict it” — that early maturing teenagers will take part in more high-risk behaviors, says Tonya Chaffee, associate clinical professor of pediatrics at University of California, San Francisco

Chicken and egg, cart and horse. Are we through social breakdown and chemical poisoning assigning our daughters and granddaughters to potentially high risk behaviour?

As a society we should be able to do something about both aspects of this problem. Those of you who are as ancient as me will remember that girls did not really start maturing until around 13 or later, and boys as late as 15 or 16.

What are we doing to our children? What are we doing to our planet?

By the way there are some older threads of a similar nature back as far as 2004. Do an ATS search for 'puberty' if you are interested in taking a look at what was said before.

Please do read all of the article and then discuss.

My niece is five and a half, and she got her first training bra a few weeks ago. Early maturation runs in my family, but that is a bit ridiculous. It makes you wonder what its doing to the boys. But, yeah, I've noticed it's becoming more and more common for kids to start maturing really early.

It's a bit scary when you start thinking about 8 year olds having sex drives. I mean, what's going to happen when you start having 3rd graders winding up pregnant.

Of sourse its not normal!

This is dues to things like vaccinations, BPA, aspertame and other chemicals being forced onto us. Soon our children will start being born deformed and blind etc... And this is why TPTB are pushing, its ok to kill children up to three years old. They are expecting children to be deformed.

TPTB are sick people, we know that for definate now and its time to take our countries back from this scurge.

reply to post by TheMindWar

And this is why TPTB are pushing, its ok to kill children up to three years old

source?


@topic...

hormoes are one thing but their mind is not developed in any way close to become an adult...that takes time and as long as this is not happening, we may have small girls with bigger boobies like 40 years ago but you cannot have a normal conversation with them like with an adult...

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


Not sure what third graders are age wise but I am assuming the equivalent of our Primary school children - up to age 11.

I have no doubt it will happen (I believe it has) more frequently. It is so sad that either by accident or juvenile design these kids will end up pregnant. There was/is a good reason for the age of consent since one hopes that at that age the participants have sufficient knowledge and education to cope with the relationship and any results.

In the UK/Ireland it is 16, but older I believe in the States. 16 is plenty young enough to be saddling oneself with the responsibilities of parenthood.

reply to post by Hessdalen

but their mind is not developed in any way close to become an adult

A very relevant point and one that I forgot to mention. Thanks.

I hope the poster who told of 'post-natal termination' up to 3 comes back with a source

Living in the city it's not unusal to hear of sex at age 10 it happens a lot more than people realize. Many hookers have been found out to be under 14 and not forced but what the heck I might as well make some money.

Here is a conspiracy to think about...believe me or not,I have no proof.
Baby formula after colestrium(spelled wrong)is loaded full of hormones and nutrients for heath and growth of course so were told.....now,as they get older and eat meat that has been fed more hormones(for quick growth)effects the P-gland...its kind of hard to explain.

reply to post by PuterMan


My understanding is that the age of consent in the 'States actually varies by the state that one is dealing with. The average across most states seems to be 16, though.

As for 3rd grade, it would be equivalent to about halfway through primary school.

reply to post by mikellmikell

Many hookers have been found out to be under 14 and not forced but what the heck I might as well make some money.

Are you serious? That is an absolutely appalling statement of the condition of society and the irresponsibility of parents, not to mention the disgraceful fact that a child would consider this just to 'make some money'. Why should a child of such an age need that much money?

In many ways I become more glad each day that my time to shuffle off this mortal coil approaches. It may be 5 years or it may be 25 years but either way it is shorter than the road I have travelled. I have seen many changes in this world in that time, and on reflection most of them have ultimately turned out NOT to be for the better.

I pity the children and the mess we are creating for them, and the total lack of care that abounds that this despoliation of childhood should happen.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


Thanks for that info.

So what you were saying is pregnancies at age 7 or 8?

reply to post by PuterMan


as hard as it sounds but its true...indecline society...many are illegal aliens (need the money to pay their smugglers back), others are social low and really dont know about the consequences and/or are drug addicted...

Thank you for the topic, as it has been a concern of mine for some time.

Whereas it used to be very unusual for a nine year girl old to enter menses, it is now quite typical; perhaps becoming the norm. When I first began questioning it, I was told by physicians it is due to "better and more consistent nutrition". Hm.

I think it's more like " contaminated" nutrition, that is, meat that has been shot full of hormones. It's not just kids who are growing up on fast foods either. It includes young girls and boys whose parents still provide a home-cooked evening meal. Of course, those home cooked meals include meats brought at the grocery.

My nephew, at age 11, announced to me he has public hair, as he was crawling around playing on my bed. He offered to let me see it. lol. I declined, but was thinking a 15 year old would not have told me this, much less offered to let me see it.

The body is going to be ahead of the brain for a few years, and that could prove to be a dangerous time, and make for a very confused child. It does concern me, particularly in today's environment in which everything is centered around being "hot".

I'm afraid those little girls who can make themselves appear "hot" will be biting off more than they can chew.

reply to post by BellaSabre

I think it's more like " contaminated" nutrition, that is, meat that has been shot full of hormones. It's not just kids who are growing up on fast foods either. It includes young girls and boys whose parents still provide a home-cooked evening meal. Of course, those home cooked meals include meats brought at the grocery.

I agree with you on that completely, but even that does not account for these potential other sources.

As regards your nephew and a 15 year old, I am not so sure that these days a 15 year old would have been so circumspect.

One concern, among parents and researchers, is the effect of simultaneous exposures to many estrogen-mimics, including the compound BPA, which is ubiquitous. Ninety-three percent of Americans have traces of BPA in their bodies. BPA was first made in 1891 and used as a synthetic estrogen in the 1930s. In the 1950s commercial manufacturers started putting BPA in hard plastics. Since then BPA has been found in many common products, including dental sealants and cash-register receipts. More than a million pounds of the substance are released into the environment each year.

Yes, this is particularly concerning. I mean, why? Why why why?
Surely there is another substance that could be used. I think all these plastics might be the source of cancers also. A hunch I've had for a decade.

When not using my real plates, I always use paper as an alternative, not plastic.
But cash register receipts? Maybe we need to start wearing latex gloves while shopping. Oh wait....... latex?

This is a vid that was on msnbc a while back. I can only embed u-tube vids, so here's the link.


www.msnbc.msn.com...

They are calling this "precocious puberty", and doctors are recommending looking for brain tumors. Yeah, good luck with that.

Obesity is mentioned, and indeed I've noticed young girls I've seen with precocious puberty are in fact overweight, so obviously sugar and diet are partially to blame. Of course, environmental factors pointed out in the OP are a concern as well.

reply to post by BellaSabre


At the end of the day, what ever the reason may be, we should be doing something to reverse the trend back the way it used to be. That much is for certain.

No doubt modern nutrition has an impact. The amount of growth hormones and antibiotics they feed chickens and pigs etc is criminal.
But Im not sure it is that, or just that modern society people eat "More" food. In the olden daze, skinny people were skinny because they didnt eat (poor etc), and they developed later.
But let me assure you, at least since the 1970s (when i became aware), I remember reading in the newspapers about girls aged 9 having babies, generally in Brazil or some other Hot Blooded country.
It seemed normal to them.
In high school, I knew of boys of Greek descent who had Beards and Moustacheos, at 14...so that isnt unusual for that ethnic group.
So what did they blame then? Garlic? Olive Oil?

People tout the concepts of "mind over matter" and "mental healing". What if those concepts were further extended to include "mind over evolution"? Is it then plausible that exposure to materials concerned with reproduction could trigger hypochondria or psychocomatic responses? I often hear that if you call a child a "brat" long enough, they will become a "brat" and "positive reinforcement" will result in well-adjusted child. Should positive reinforcement includes symbolism deeply intertwined with eroticism, where does that lead?

I could mention that until rather recently children were wed well below the current definition of adult, so, was pre/early-teen pairing (marriage) part of the human evolutionary process only to removed by (wildly variant religious) concepts of ethics and morality? Within the legal system should there be "pedophilia", "hebephilia" and "ephebophilia"- varying degrees of non-consent based on age? But then I'd have to say that some people show societal maturity at "X" years while others aren't mature until they're near dying some decades later thus creating the need for psychological evaluations...something we already know isn't much more than moderately accurate.

Divergence:
I'm always made humor of when I question what "normal" is. I believe "normal" is "genius", "autistic", "lazy", "productive", "loving", "irreverant"... pick any adjective to describe any individual, and that is "normal" to that person, and those who can't be described by that adjective are abnormal.



Somewhere, someone... forget to include how a young individual perceives their surrondings and...
... which brings me right back to the start.

reply to post by gort51

But Im not sure it is that, or just that modern society people eat "More" food. In the olden daze, skinny people were skinny because they didnt eat (poor etc), and they developed later.

Have to say that my impression is more that they ate better food then and not not much and were skinny because they were fit. People may eat more now but it is rubbish. I vaguely do remember 1 case reported of a 9 year old who got pregnant but it certainly was not as to the forefront as it is these days.

14 was not early for boys by the way, it was about the median.