Study Reveals Girls As Young As Six Are Now Showing Signs Of Maturity

Puberty is beginning sooner for many girls. A study recently revealed that girls as young as 6 or 7 years old display signs of puberty. In many cases, according to new guidelines by endocrinologists, it's normal and does not routinely require workups by specialists or injections of hormones to delay maturation.

The guidelines, which appear in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and are based on a University of North Carolina study, state that Black girls 6 or older and White girls older than 7 with beginning breast development or pubic hair do not need routine workups for precocious puberty if no other signs of sexual maturation such as genital enlargement, acne or growth acceleration are present.

The study showed that 15 percent of White girls and 48 percent of Black girls showed signs of breast development or pubic hair by age 8.

It also found that Blacks, on average, mature faster, while Northern European Whites are among the latest to develop. The reason for the racial disparity is unclear.

Studies are under way, according to experts, to determine the reason for earlier maturation. Some believe it may be due to environmental changes, such as the use of pesticides, or hormones and hormone-like substances known as "endocrine disrupters."

Other researchers say that the main reason girls today develop sooner is because of nutrition. Earlier development is a sign of better health, they say.

Although puberty may start earlier for girls, the age of menarche, when girls first menstruate, has not changed in the past 50 years. On average, Black girls get their first period at 12.1 years old while White girls get theirs at 12.8 years, the study showed.