According to official figures, a record number of girls under the age of eight were hospitalized last year after entering puberty too early.
Experts warn that the childhood obesity epidemic is fueling the rise in cases, with some girls starting to mature before they even start school.
Girls are considered to have entered puberty very early if they start menstruating or have breasts three years before the age of eight, on average.
Children on a high-fat diet and who are not physically active are known to develop earlier than their leaner, more active peers.
Girls who start menstruating or developing breasts before the age of eight, three years on average, are considered to have entered puberty very early.
According to NHS Digital, girls were hospitalized 1,510 times last year for so-called “premature puberty”. This is 14% more than 1,322 in 2019/20 and 1,280 in 2018/19.
Including men, doctors recorded a total of 1,720 pre-adolescent hospitalizations last year, 90 of which were children under the age of five.
Premature puberty may not have an obvious cause or be related to obesity, a brain tumor, an ovarian or thyroid problem, or a genetic condition.
Research has suggested that having too many fat cells can stimulate the production of sex hormones, which can trigger early puberty.
About 14.4% of children aged four to five years were obese in 2020/21, up from 9.9% the previous year.
Dr. Tabitha Randell, spokesperson for the British Association for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes, said: “We’ve definitely seen an increase in the number of children sent to hospital with early puberty, and it’s because of high childhood obesity.
Children who are fed a high-fat diet who are not physically active are known to develop earlier than their leaner, more active peers.
“This child’s maturation can make life difficult for children as they must learn to cope with periods and emotional changes many years before their peers.”
He also warned that children who enter puberty early may start smoking, drinking and having sex at a young age, and are also more likely to drop out of school without qualifications.
The NHS website advises parents to take their daughter to the doctor if they show signs of puberty before the age of eight and their son before the age of nine.
This can be treated with medications to lower hormone levels and stop sexual development.
Source: Daily Mail
I am Anne Johnson and I work as an author at the Fashion Vibes. My main area of expertise is beauty related news, but I also have experience in covering other types of stories like entertainment, lifestyle, and health topics. With my years of experience in writing for various publications, I have built strong relationships with many industry insiders. My passion for journalism has enabled me to stay on top of the latest trends and changes in the world of beauty.
