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Britain, 50 per cent of ten-year-old girls are now menstruating. THE SILENT INVASION A groundbreaking study in 1997 of 17,000 girls sent shock Since early puberty is a well-established risk for breast cancer, waves through the medical community. The study found that the the earlier a woman reaches puberty, the longer her breast tissues initial signs of puberty were occurring earlier than previously will be exposed to potentially harmful agents (chemicals, radia- recorded. The study found that 27 per cent of African-American tion and oestrogen).* Even though a girl may begin menstruating, and almost seven per cent of Caucasian girls had the onset of sec- it is unusual for her to be ovulating every month. Since ovulation ondary sexual characteristics, i.e., either breast development or is necessary for the production of progesterone, early puberty is pubic hair development by age seven. By the time girls turn eight often a condition that results in oestrogen production without the years old, one in seven white girls and one out of two Afro- protective effects of progesterone. This hormonal imbalance adds American girls will be starting puberty! Even more startling was to a girl's body-burden of oestrogen excess, putting her at the finding that one per cent of Caucasian and three per cent of _ increased risk of oestrogen-dependent cancers and other hormonal African-American girls show these characteristic by three years of problems. age!? It has been known for some time that the younger a woman is How common is this trend? "Young girls in the five- to ten- when she starts her periods, the higher her risk of developing year-old range with breasts and pubic hair—we encounter this breast cancer later in life. The younger a woman is, the longer her every day in our clinic," says Michael Feemark, chief of paedi- overall exposure to high levels of oestrogens. atric endocrinology at Duke University Dr Carlos Sonnenschein of the Tufts Medical Center in the USA.* Similar findings University School of Medicine warns that were also reported from a study of 14,000 "...the length and amount of exposure to children from Bristol University's Institute of oestrogen is one of the most significant risk Child Health in the UK. factors in breast carcinogenesis. Unless you The development of secondary sexual char- are exposed to oestrogens, you don't get acteristics in girls is a significant event, sig- breast cancer. The longer the exposure is, the nalling the onset of physiological and psycho- higher the incidence. Therefore, if you logical changes of profound importance. "Y, irls i th decrease the age of the first menstruation, Many scientists and doctors are very con- oung gir sin the you are at higher risk".’ cerned. This is not only a worrying trend but five- to ten-year-old hg eens are confused. It is absurd to a very serious public health problem. Before . ink that early puberty is the result of better they have outgrown doll's houses, many young range with breasts nutrition, as many scientists assert. One con- Swings, hormonal changes and sexual aten. | 20 PUBIC rat ne ce in obesity in children and tion that accompany physical maturation. we encounter this lack of exercise has a direct relationship dramatic.” Stades ave found tat it every day in number of overeight kids and ales: who reach puberty earlier tend to have our clinic." cents in the United States has nearly sex earlier, have an increased risk of doubled. Today, 10 per cent of two-to pregnancy, experience more psychologi- five-year-olds and more than 15 per cal stress, poor mental health, more cent of children between the ages of six behavioural problems, and are more and nineteen are overweight.'° likely to drink, smoke, have a lower IQ Childhood obesity is also a major public and commit suicide. For boys, it can health concern throughout the world mean more aggressive, violent behaviour, including in Australia, New Zealand, learning disabilities and more drug and the UK, Ireland, Germany, Italy and alcohol abuse. Canada." But the most disturbing consequence One explanation looks at a protein of early puberty in females is the well-established risk for pre- called leptin that encourages early breast development. Leptin is and post-menopausal breast cancer as well as ovarian cancer. produced from fat cells and is necessary for the progression of According to a study published in Nature (1989), the risk associ- puberty. So, the more fat cells, the more leptin is produced by the ated with having an early menstruation—for instance, one that body. In addition, overweight girls have more insulin circulating takes place at the age of ten—is approximately twice that associ- in their blood. High levels of insulin stimulate the production of ated with a menstruation occurring at the age of sixteen.° In addi- sex hormones such as oestrogen, adding to an oestrogen excess. tion, girls showing early signs of puberty have increased risks of Is it just the fast foods and sedentary lifestyle that are piling up polycystic ovarian syndrome, menstrual irregularities, acne, the leptin-producing fat? Perhaps not. excessive facial hair and infertility. A 20-year study found that the greater the prenatal level of the Early puberty in males can increase their incidence of testicular hormone disruptor polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), the heavier cancer, lower fertility and impaired growth leading to shorter the girls were at age fourteen and their puberty was statistically stature. A researcher into precocious puberty, Dr Marcia Herman- earlier.” Giddens, adjunct professor of maternal and child health at the Could prenatal exposure to hormone disruptors play a role in University of North Carolina, said, "It's probably not healthy, obesity? A study based on this idea was conducted by Dr Walter since earlier studies have shown that the sooner a boy starts Rogan, an epidemiologist at the National Institute of puberty, the higher his risk is of developing testicular cancer, just Environmental Heath Sciences. He chose 600 pregnant women as early-maturing girls are at greater risk of developing breast and measured the levels of chemicals in their bodies; then, when cancer".’ their babies were born, the researchers measured the chemicals in "Young girls in the five- to ten-year-old range with breasts and pubic hair— every day in our clinic." 22 = NEXUS APRIL — MAY 2004 THE SILENT INVASION we encounter this www.nexusmagazine.com