Puberty is the period during which adolescents reach sexual maturity and become capable of reproduction.
Sometimes the child attains puberty before age which is a cause of concern and it is the responsibility of the parents to pay attention to the signs of early or precocious puberty in children as this brings physical and emotional changes which could affect their mental health.
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Precocious puberty occurs in girls when they become 8 years old and it happens in a boy at 9 years.
The girls experience changes like menstruation, breast growth, public or underarm hair and ovulation while boys experience enlarged penis, pubic or underarm hair, acne, change in voice, facial hair among others.
Early menstruation occurs due to intake of higher total protein, animal protein and meat intake while higher protein intake elevates hormone levels and promotes growth for the early onset of puberty among boys.
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Here are few reasons which cause early puberty:
- Being overweight/obese
Excess fat in the body elevates the levels of estrogen and insulin which leads to early puberty. To avoid obesity encourage children to indulge in outdoor games.
- BPA exposure
BPA is 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 is one of the main reasons for early puberty in girls. BPA is associated with abnormalities like irregularities in menstrual cycle, impaired fertility, PCOS and PCOD.
- Social media savvy
Watching too much adult content has a negative effect on the child’s 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, which sets the stage for early puberty amongst children.
- Overconsumption of Protein shakes
Protein shakes contain hormones that can cause negative effects on the teens. Those effects may include breast development for males and facial hair growth for females.
- Overconsumption of Cow milk
Recombinant bovine somatotropin (RSBT) is a synthetic version of the naturally occurring protein that increases milk production in cows. This can trigger early breast growth and menstruation among girls while hair growth among boys.