BAMAPHIN 22
04-12-2011, 11:42 AM
Girls are reaching puberty in life earlier than ever, research shows.
About 15 percent of American girls now begin puberty by age 7, according to a study of 1,239 girls published last year in the journal Pediatrics. One in 10 white girls begin developing breasts by that age - twice the rate seen in a 1997 study. Among black girls, 23 percent hit puberty by age 7.
On "The Early Show" CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, an OB-GYN who specializes in adolescent care, said "early puberty," also known as "precocious puberty," has risks for girls.
"You have to remember, this is occurring at a time of childhood development where all girls and children want to do is fit in and look like the person sitting next to them," Ashton said. "It can generate a lot of fear. It's not cute. Adults can look at it and say, 'Oh, how cute.' It's really an adult body, a developing adult body in a child's age.'"
Ashton said the effects on girls can be emotional as well as physical.
"We know that girls of that age can suffer from low self-esteem," she said. "They can be subjected to more peer pressure, increased risks of eating disorder, even depression. They are known to participate in sexual activity in an earlier age because of this. Also, they can be shorter because we know that estrogen is one of the key hormones.
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About 15 percent of American girls now begin puberty by age 7, according to a study of 1,239 girls published last year in the journal Pediatrics. One in 10 white girls begin developing breasts by that age - twice the rate seen in a 1997 study. Among black girls, 23 percent hit puberty by age 7.
On "The Early Show" CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, an OB-GYN who specializes in adolescent care, said "early puberty," also known as "precocious puberty," has risks for girls.
"You have to remember, this is occurring at a time of childhood development where all girls and children want to do is fit in and look like the person sitting next to them," Ashton said. "It can generate a lot of fear. It's not cute. Adults can look at it and say, 'Oh, how cute.' It's really an adult body, a developing adult body in a child's age.'"
Ashton said the effects on girls can be emotional as well as physical.
"We know that girls of that age can suffer from low self-esteem," she said. "They can be subjected to more peer pressure, increased risks of eating disorder, even depression. They are known to participate in sexual activity in an earlier age because of this. Also, they can be shorter because we know that estrogen is one of the key hormones.
To view links or images in this forum your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.