Begins the seven-year-old your daughter to get tits? Or do you see dark hair on the body of your åtteårige son? It can be a sign you should take seriously.
Danish girls start to develop breasts when they are on average ten years old, one year younger than 15 years earlier.
Soon as we get to know about puberty drops also for Norwegian children. 700 girls and 550 boys from seven different schools in a survey conducted by the Vekststudien in Bergen.
Weight, hair and tits
– This is the first pubertetsstudien as is done in Norway, ” says doktorgradskandidat Ingvild Særvold Bruserud.
In girls, we see puberty first, that the glands in the breasts growing, with the boys by the testicles to get larger, ” says Bruserud.
PUBERTETSTEGN: the Researchers check the height, weight, boobs, testikkelstørrelse and pubic hair on the children who are in the study.
Photo: TORBJORN MORVIK / NRK
For 150 years ago, girls menstruation when they were 17 years of age. For 50 years since they got it already when they were 13-14.
“We got increasingly better health, and could thus carry up children earlier,” explains physician and phd Ninnie Oehme.
Possible explanations
The first menstrual period is easily measurable. But to find the earliest signs of puberty, is more challenging. Increasing overweight can make it difficult to say whether the greater brystomfang in girls due to the fact that the hormones have started puberty.
What makes our study unique is that we have used ultrasound to determine whether the tits consists of kjertelvev or fat, ” says Oehme.
more mature BOYS: It is researched a little on boys and puberty, but there is much to indicate that they are earlier mature than before.
Photo: TORBJORN MORVIK / NRK
the Research has problems to explain the reasons why puberty is decreasing. Several hypotheses point out that the reasons not only lie in our genes, but also in the environment:
Inaction and stillesitting in front of the screen is not a direct cause of early puberty, however, increased obesity may change the timing of puberty. Hormonhermere in makeup and body care products can initiate the processes that influence puberty. Chemicals and hazardous substances in paints, detergents and plastic can do the same. Parabens in the food we eat can have an effect.
Hear the report about early puberty in NRK Echo:
You need javascript to play the sound clip “Come children into puberty earlier than before?”.
How dangerous is it?
Early puberty may increase the risk of breast cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Young adult children are seeking more contact with older young people, which can create a mismatch between how the child feels physically and mentally.
BOTH BIG AND SMALL: Edvard Munch’s picture “Puberty” is an unmasked representation of how puberty and vulnerability are linked together.
Illustration: Edvard Munch (painted 1894-95)
– If it is nature’s time that puberty is dropping, there is not much we can do. But if the trend is due to obesity and environmental toxins, we can make us something, ” says Ninnie Oehme.
When should you consult a doctor?
You should consult your doctor if your into girls or åtteårige boys shows pubertetstegn. An investigation will show whether there is a real puberty set in motion by the brain.
Often one can develop one sign of puberty, f.ex. hair growth, without special reason, where the rest of puberty occurs at the normal time.
– Is there a real puberty at the time, it can be braked something by hormone therapy, says the doctor.
But the most important treatment parents can give when their child has mood swings that accompany puberty, is to show tålmodlighet and understanding.
Recommended further reading: When Mira (24) was menses, invited parents friends and family to the party QUIZ: What can you about your period? When gutelus and jentelus is digg
