Why more girls are experiencing earlier puberty

Do you live in America? Most people on Mumsnet are British and the practice of injecting livestock with hormones is illegal in the UK I believe

Do you live in America? Most people on Mumsnet are British and the practice of injecting livestock with hormones is illegal in the UK I believe

Yes. Really fascinating!

I mean, there are species like parrot fish that have always changed sex to compensate for unbalanced M:F ratios. But what's going on now seems to be entirely differentl

My dd started her period at 11, she was underweight and short, still is at 18. I was a slightly bigger build than her and definitely weighed more at age 11 when I also started my period.

My twin boys were late to start puberty, first signs were aged 14. They still aren't fully through puberty at 16 much to their annoyance.

@rainydaysandcake
have you seen a paediatric endocrinologist- 7 I’d think is I the precocious puberty bracket and she may need medical intervention to stop the periods and allow her to achieve her full height and protect her bones.

@Alcemeg there was much mention in the book also about animals and amphibians being found to have increased numbers of Hermaphrodite individuals, in places where background levels of plastic related pollution were high. Low speed count in humans and many other species was thought to be related also. I should try and find a copy of the book it was really interesting. It was by Deborah Cadbury.

Period bikini bottoms were a game changer for us for DD! She started hers the month before we went on holiday. Bikini bottoms from Modibodi could be worn with an ordinary bikini top and she could still swim.

@rainydaysandcake wow 7 that's incredibly young the poor girl I do feel it takes some of their childhood away when they have to deal with periods so young. Things like not being able to go swimming etc when childhood should still be carefree. Never tried them ourselves but I believe you can buy period pants which may help her feel more relaxed and not worry about leaking so much.
My cousin now in her 60s started at age 8.
I'm in my 40s and started at 14 dd was 12. I've been having periods for over 30 years and still hate them and find them a massive nuisance so I feel sorry for girls that are so young.

I’m very tall and was 5’11 in year 7 but I didn’t start till 15. I was very underweight and was told it was weight not height that has the effect. From memory it was 7.5 stone that was the weight that would trigger periods.

I'm 58, and started my periods when I was two months shy of my 16th birthday. My Mum told me she was a similar age. I was (and am) small and slim, as was my mother.

I was still having periods when I was 56.

I agree that the article was an interesting read, ArabellaScott, and that it's worthwhile and necessary to explore the effect of the pandemic on children. I think we're far from knowing what may cause such an effect and whether it really is widespread, but even just knowing it's happening is worthwhile.

It was also interesting that it went into some detail about the differences between onset in black, white and Hispanic girls. Much of the early comparison data is from poor white girls so we don't really have a good idea about the other two groups in earlier times, but in the future we'llat least be able to make better comparisons.

What is disappointing in the article is that the writer dismisses concerns about Lupron so lightly. She had an opportunity (and in my view an obligation) to look into the use of puberty blockers for precocious puberty, because the evidence base there is almost as poor as it is for using PBs in gender dysphoric children. But I guess that's a step too far since the use of PBs for precocious puberty is what forms the basic justification for its use in treating gender dysphoric children. Can't criticise the former without running the risk of being accused of criticising the latter.

Yes, I've also read that this is a factor. Plastics unlock the same receptors as some etrogens. Be interesting to know how far this might explain the modern craze for feminization/sex change, but no doubt we won't know the answer until long after I'm dead!

Years ago I read a book called, “ The feminisation of nature.” It talked about how the presence of synthetic oestrogen in our environment was having a measurable effect of early onset puberty amongst other things. Many kinds of plastic used in food packaging leach synthetic oestrogen into food and drink directly. But also it is bioaccumulative. The levels in natural water were blamed in the book for changes in human and wild life fertility.higher BMI would also have a roll to play as fat increases hormone levels. It a very interesting book but I think out of print now.

I've always had bmi on lower side too. Was a waif as a teen, not intentionally. So I don't think my body let me till I put a bit of weight on

From experience women who start later May finish sooner. Certainly in my case.

Interestingly I recently found that that extended breastfeeding keeps the ovaries ticking over for longer as stimulates amh (I think that's it?) but you can have less oestrogen.

I seemed to have gone really into menopause when I stopped feeding my second child, early 40s. Prior to that I had symptoms. (Can have hrt when bf but I didn't know.)

Average start 12, average finish 51

Modi bod do small sizes

Slightly off topic, sorry, can anybody recommend period pants that do very small sizes please?

Very interesting Gasp and Charlie. DD started at 11, she is very tall but boderline underweight.

Could hormones in meat production affect anything? I speak as someone who eats more or less anything as long as it's tasty.

I started mine at 11, as has my daughter. I’m early 50s and haven’t had a period for six months so assume I’m going through the menopause.