A recent article in Time magazine called “Teens Before Their Time” (October 30, 2000) discusses the trend of girls entering puberty at ages younger than previous generations. Doctors and parents have noticed that it seems that an entire generation has been put on hormonal fast forward. Dr. Michael Freemark, chief of pediatric endocrinology at Duke University Medical Center says, “Young girls [in the 5-to-10 year old range] with breasts and pubic hair-we encounter this everyday we’re in clinic.”
The causes of this trend are only speculative. PCBs, long-lived chemicals once used in the electrical power industry, may jump start reproductive development. A study speculates that phthalates, a plastics ingredient, may have caused two-year-olds in Puerto Rico to grow breasts. It is also possible that growth hormones given to cattle to produce more milk and meat may linger in the foods and have an effect on childhood development. Leptin, a protein secreted by fat cells, is involved in the progression of puberty. Considering the nation’s epidemic with obesity, leptin is also a prime suspect. DDE, a breakdown product of DDT, mimics hormones that play a key role in the development of the reproductive system. Considering that DDT and its products are still found in the environment, it is possible that this may have an effect as well.
No matter what the cause, the effect is the same: females who still have the emotional and mental characteristics of a girl are developing the body of a woman. This causes great concern in parents who are afraid that their daughters will be coerced by society to behave older than they are ready. Some are concerned that popular media already sexualizes children too much and that a 12 year olds with the bodies of a 17 year olds will be expected to be sexually mature beyond their years. |
2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education