# Great article in TIME mag must read it is about early puberty



## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

Early puberty


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## bonbon mama (May 16, 2003)

That article was interesting; it aroused all sorts of questions. I wish it came with an associated reading list.

It seemed to be a bit sensationalized, however. Their research didn't answer the question, "Is this really a significant historical change in pubery onset?" They pointed that it might be. I want to know. Is there more research that someone else knows about?

And this plastics concern. Why are nearly all my child's toys made of plastic? I know its pretty; but was that the only concern in the manufacturer's mind? If plastic water bottles deteriorate beyond safety with mechanical stresses what the H*** are my child's teething rings doing? I pitch obviously worn toys...but how do I know that's a safe enough guideline.

Aiee. It was such a mentally quiet Sunday afternoon for me...


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## somemama (Sep 25, 2002)

"...though they've also proposed a witches' brew of other explanations, from chemicals in the environment to hormones in cow's milk and beef."

I've heard of this as the explanation, which is why my dd drinks rbgh-free milk! (She still eats beef though. Ugh!)


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## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

This is the first time I have seen a main stream source admit something else other than diet.

Plus acknowledge that we know so little about male growth/puberty (even if it was only a brief statement).


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

Very interesting. Rain started developing at 7, although she'll be eleven soon and hasn't gotten her periods yet. That seems to tally with what the article said, about the secondary sex characteristics showing up earlier but menarche remaining about the same . She drinks non rbgh milk, too, and always has, and when she was 7 she was a vegetarian... so the dietary explanations didn't work for us.

Plastics, otoh, seem to make more sense.

FWIW, she *is* still a kid, and developing early didn't make her boy-crazy or Brittney Speares obsessed, and it actually turned out to be less of a big deal than I had feared.

She has done everything physical early, getting teeth (barely 4 months), walking (barely 8 months), losing teeth (3, almost 4) so I wasn't really surprised...

Dar


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## fyrflymommy (Jan 20, 2003)

.


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## luckylady (Jul 9, 2003)

I had read a paper on the physiological effects that the media had on premature puberty about 7 months ago. I was interested to see that they mentioned that as a possible link. There are really too many factors that have changed in our society that it would be difficult to scientifically narrow it own to one thing. I also find it interesting the difference between white and AA girls - the difference here may be the clue.

They also mentioned obesity, but failed to mention of the girls metioned were obese.


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## USAmma (Nov 29, 2001)

Maybe the two are not related, but I was allergic to milk for most of my childhood, so drank soy milk. I didn't start my period until age 15. I've always suspected maybe something in cow's milk, but cow's milk is so common in our diets that you'd think most girls would develop early if it was to blame. Oh, and I also never ate much red meat growing up, mostly chicken and fish. Had very low body fat.

I wonder if it's a body fat thing? I noticed in school the bigger girls always seemed to develop first.

Darshani


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## MisfitMama (Sep 4, 2003)

Hello,

Yet another reason to get plastics out of our house!

However, I also attended a lecture earlier this year, by Joseph Chilton Pearce, author of _Magical Child_ (which I highly recommend, btw!) and he explained that there is a part of the brain (primal/animal/"old" brain) that responds to the flashing on television by thinking "DANGER!" b/c our brains are programmed from waaaaaaay back to respond to flashes as danger b/c obviously flashes WOULD have meant danger. Anyway, due to the constantly flashing "startle effects" on TV (he says they double in frequency every few years or something, due to shortened att'n spans/competition/channel surfing) so kids' brains are going "DANGER DANGER DANGER" all day long when they watch T.V., so their bodies respond by thinking, "I might DIE any second - so much danger - MUST REPRODUCE QUICKLY." And voila, you get early puberty.

Pretty scary, huh?

Don't know of any online info on this, or whether or not he's put it into a book yet, but his website is called "Touch the Future."

MisfitMama


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## ~Megan~ (Nov 7, 2002)

I have read somewhere else that cow's milk can be part of the problem since it contains so many hormones.


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## AahRee (Jan 23, 2003)

Articles like that make me feel so overwhelmed and confused. I don't want my DD to develop early, but the article didn't really offer any concrete preventative measures.







If there is a link between early puberty and cow's milk, what do you use in the place of cow's milk? Soy milk? Doesn't that contain estrogen? What about goat's milk? That is my pediatrician's preferred alternative to cow's milk, but does it contain the same levels of hormones as are in cow's milk?

And plastics... while I'm trying to get rid of most of the plastic toys in our house, it seems like plastics are EVERYWHERE these days. How do you get rid of it all?

I'm glad I read that, but I wish they offered more proactive steps to take to prevent it!


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## Greaseball (Feb 1, 2002)

Quote:

"We didn't allow her to go to any slumber parties," says Stover. "Or to change bathing suits in front of other children."
They're going to treat her like a FREAK?? This girl should know her body is nothing to be ashamed of!

The atricle did not mention sexual abuse as a cause. It went into "sexualized messages" from the media, but if a child is being abused, they are being sent a "sexualized message" - they are being told their purpose is for the sexual pleasure of adult men. Most abused girls I know either started extremely early, or very late (due to anorexia, which is common among abused girls).

I started "developing" at 7, and had the body of a 16-year-old when I was 11. I did not hide it; I knew there was nothing to be ashamed of. I got harrassed by boys, but so did non-developed girls - boys will harrass anyone. And I did not drink cows' milk, watch TV, eat non-organic food, or play with plastic toys until I was in middle school.

If my dd starts as early as I did, or earlier, I know what to do - tell her she is beautiful, ask if there is anything I can do to make her feel more comfortable with herself, and then leave her alone.


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## MisfitMama (Sep 4, 2003)

Woah, Previous Poster, (I can't figure out how to quote),

How did your parents manage to keep you away from plastic, milk, t.v., and non-organic food??? Do tell!

And to those of you who are talking about hormones in the milk, do you mean those arficial additives, like vitamin D and/or RBGH, or are you talking about plain old cow hormones that would be in any fresh-from-the-farm milk? If it wouldn't be in fresh milk (unpasteurized), I can tell you I know you can order that milk direct from farmers. There is a website. Don't have the link - but it's Weston A. Price and it's all about how you should drink this kind of milk.

However, I just use rice milk.

Dr. Drew (from "Love Line") says he thinks MTV is making people go thru puberty sooner, but I never heard him explain how/why.

Also, RE: why we don't hear more or why TIME doesn't tell anyone what to do. . . I suspect they'd get sued by the American Dairy Association, or the Beef Council, or the petroleum industry. And, of course, if they said anything about T.V. . . . Isn't Time-Warner called Time-Warner because of TIME magazine?

I wouldn't expect to get any good information from a mainstream magazine. Probably you'd need to scour academic journals or something, although I've never been able to figure out how to access them online.

MisfitMama


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## Greaseball (Feb 1, 2002)

Actually, when I went to friends' houses sometimes we would watch TV (Sesame-street type stuff, though; never heard of MTV until high school) and eat unhealthy stuff. But in the home there was no TV and only health food...to an insane degree, if you ask me. My mom also packed me a lunch for school, even though we qualified for free lunch. And I just wasn't that interested in toys; I preferred books and simple art materials.

If plastics and poor diets made early puberty happen, though; it would happen to almost all children, and really it doesn't happen to that many. Menstruation occurs earlier, but not the outward signs.

This is why I plan to tell my dd about menstruation early on - maybe around age 6 or so. I don't want it to come as a shock.


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## MisfitMama (Sep 4, 2003)

Just to throw some more hearsay into the pot:

A friend of mine has always said that she heard that MICROWAVING plastic releases something like estrogen into the air, and THAT is why puberty is happening earlier to girls?

Don't ask me - I'm the OPPOSITE of a scientist.

Something in there about crocodiles growing breasts or something, too. I swear!

Who wants to substantiate my story?

MisfitMama


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## AnnMarie (May 21, 2002)

My 10 year old is getting breasts and pubic hair already. She was a vegetarian most of her life and doesn't drink milk. We always have used a lot of soy products though. With her 'tude I expect she'll have her period soon as well. :LOL


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## Piglet68 (Apr 5, 2002)

Moving this to Preteens and Teens...


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## Marsupialmom (Sep 28, 2003)

I think it is a good article because it acknowledges a problem or issue that is not being studied enough.

It bings about study.


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## honey (Nov 28, 2003)

hmmm...

Just thinking...I have two daughters ages 13 and 10 and they are starting puberty at the same time!
They were raised the same, breastfed till about 2 years old, mostly rice and soy milk but some organic non-GBH cow milk, no red meat, etc.
As far as the MTV connection, my mom started her period when she was ten and she certainly wasn't watching MTV. The explanation that makes the most sense to me is body weight. I read somewhere that girls will begin puberty at about 100 pounds; that's about the weight that both of my girls are now.


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## Greaseball (Feb 1, 2002)

The 100 lbs makes sense...though I started puberty at 7, when I was much less than 100 lbs, I did not menstruate until age 13.5, and I think I was about 100 lbs then.


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

Rain has been 100 pounds for quite a while now, maybe a year?

*Not* that I'm complaining that she hasn't started yet, mind you!

We did get some really cool pads on ebay from a seller called chimera_dreams, to be ready. They had really cool fabrics - the ones Rain chose have a red pattern with the names of different goddesses all over them.

Dar


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## vwmama (May 2, 2003)

According to the site www.iwannaknow.org girls begin their periods when they are 106lbs.


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## Nankay (Jan 24, 2002)

106??? Good god..my beanpole dd will be 42 before she has her 1st period!!:LOL


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

And Rain would've started 2 years ago, if that were true...

Dar


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## avakitty (Jan 11, 2003)

My daughter (almost 12) just got her period last week, she weighs only 80 lbs! I was 11 when i got my period.. i thought she would get it soon, since she has breasts and pubic hair but i also was hoping that since she is soo skinny that it would be a while yet. I was shocked when she told me, but handled it better than i thought i would...my husband on the other hand is still in shock!


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