Is your child showing signs of puberty much earlier than expected? It could be a cause of concern and parents must pay attention to signs of early or precocious puberty in children as this could impede their growth in future years and also lead to social and emotional issues in kids who may be conscious about their changing bodies, and this could affect their mental health. Precocious puberty occurs before age 8 in girls, and before age 9 in boys. (Also read: Mothers with depression take longer to respond to their child: Research)
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Children who have early puberty grow fast at first but stop growing before reaching their full genetic height potential. According to mayoclinic, treating precocious puberty can help children grow taller than they would without treatment. Common signs of early puberty in girls are breast growth, pubic or underarm hair, menstruation and ovulation while in boys they are enlarged penis, pubic or underarm hair, acne, change in voice, facial hair among others.
“Precocious puberty, also known as early puberty is when a child’s body starts to go through the change into an adult body too soon. This puts children in a vulnerable position as they are not ready mentally to take on the physiological and emotional changes. Puberty starts on average in girls between ages 8 and 13 and in boys between ages 9 and 14. Higher total protein, animal protein and meat intake in children ages 3 to 7 have been associated with earlier onset of menstruation. High protein intake elevates Hormone levels and promotes growth, which could accelerate the onset of puberty amongst boys,” says Kanika Malhotra, Nutritionist and Health Expert, Founder, Health Astronomy.
Causes of early puberty
1. Being overweight/obese
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Excess fat in the body elevates the levels of estrogen and insulin and this escalates the timing of puberty. The best way to avoid the obesity epidemic is to encourage children to take up more outdoor activities and indulge in them at least thrice a week for 45 minutes. Involve them in some sports activity which helps them to burn extra calories.
2. BPA
BPA, a chemical found in plastic boxes, linings of food cans, water bottles, tiffins and other food storage containers can steep into food and cause havoc inside body. BPA exposure as one of the main reasons for early puberty in girls. Start using steel, glass or BPA free containers for usage in schools. BPA is associated with abnormalities like irregularities in menstrual cycle, impaired fertility, PCOS and PCOD.
3. Increased junk food intake
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This is a no-brainer that junk food is one of the prime causes of childhood obesity. The high amount of animal fat elevates insulin which leads to pubertal development. This is more common for children whose intake of animal fat is higher between three and seven years of age. On the other hand, high intake of vegetarian protein delays the onset of puberty and also keeps the child in good health. You should avoid processed meat (sausages, salami, frozen snacks, bacon) and red meat and keep the intake to a minimal, say like twice or thrice a week.
4. Social media
The society and media are also responsible for the early onset of puberty in children. Too much of exposure to adult content — everything has an effect on their brain, especially the pituitary gland. The gland when stimulated secretes hormones which further stimulates the testicles or the ovaries to produce sex hormones, namely testosterone and estrogen, respectively which sets the stage for early puberty amongst children.
5. Protein shakes
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Many protein shakes contain hormones that can cause negative side effects for teens. Those effects may include breast development for males and facial hair growth for females. Protein shakes and other dietary supplements (packed juices) have synthetic probes that affect hormones.
6. Cow milk
Recombinant bovine somatotropin (RSBT) is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring protein that helps cows produce milk. It can trigger early breast growth and menses amongst girls. It can also escalate hair growth in amongst boys. Avoid excessive indulgence of cow milk amongst children.
