By Sherrill Sellman, ND,

Julianne is a mother to her beautiful five-year-old
daughter, Sarah. But all is not as it seems - something
strange is stirring in Sarah's body. One bedtime, as
Julianne pulled a pajama top over her daughter's head Sarah
suddenly exclaimed, "Ouch! That hurt when you touched my
nipple." Julianne was surprised by her daughter's response
and took a closer look. Yes, Sarah's nipples did appear to
be different from what she had remembered.

Julianne's pediatrician scheduled tests that confirmed
that Sarah was going through puberty. The small lumps were,
in fact, breast buds. How could this be happening to a five-
year old? The doctor explained that Sarah had a condition
called "precocious puberty."

PUBERTY IN PRETEEN YEARS

Precocious puberty, or early sexual development, is
happening everywhere. It's estimated that one out of six
girls aged eight may be entering puberty. The age at which
puberty begins has been steadily declining. Today, the
average age of first menstruation is under 12 years.

A groundbreaking U.S. study on 17,000 girls found that 27
percent of African-American and almost seven percent of
Caucasian girls had the onset of secondary sexual
characteristics, i.e., either breast development or pubic
hair development, by the age of seven. By the time the
girls turned eight-years-old, 15 percent of Caucasian girls
and 50 percent of Afro-American girls were starting
puberty. Even more startling was the finding that one
percent of Caucasian and three percent of African-American
girls showed these characteristics by the age of three.

The development of secondary sexual characteristics in
girls signals the onset of important physiological and
psychological changes. Girls who reach puberty earlier tend
to have increased risks for hormonal imbalances including
PMS, polycystic ovarian syndrome, acne, excessive facial
hair, and infertility. Studies show they also have sex
earlier, increase their risk of pregnancy, experience more
depression and psychological stress, have more behavioral
problems, are more likely to drink and smoke, have lower
IQ, and are at increased risk of suicide.

But perhaps the most disturbing consequence is the well-
established risk for pre-and postmenopausal breast and
ovarian cancers associated with having an early
menstruation. For instance, a girl who menstruates at the
age of 10 is at approximately twice the risk as a girl
whose menstruation started at the age of 16. The younger a
woman is when she starts her periods, the higher her risk
of later developing breast cancer. Prolonged exposure to
estrogens poses a risk factor for breast cancer; estrogen
is known to fuel the growth of estrogen-sensitive tissues
like that found in the breast.

Precocious puberty is also occurring in boys. It has now
been discovered that boys as young as nine years old are
developing genitalia, producing sperm, and having
spontaneous erections. In addition, they have hair growth
on the face, under their arms, and in the pubic area. In
boys, this can mean more aggressive, violent behavior,
cancer, and sterility.

HORMONE DISRUPTORS AT WORK

The experts are confused about the cause. Some blame
obesity. Presently one-third of Canadian children aged two
to 11 are overweight and 18 percent are obese. It is now
known that fat cells produce a protein called leptin, which
is necessary for the progression of puberty.

Is it just fast foods and a sedentary lifestyle that's
piling up the leptin-producing fat? Perhaps not! Prenatal
exposure to hormone disruptors can play a role in obesity.
In fact, the guilty party is looking more like hormone
disruptors, human made chemicals that mimic hormones and
disturb natural hormonal balance in the body. One study
found that the greater the prenatal level of the hormone
disruptor polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), the earlier the
onset of puberty and the heavier the girls were at age 14.

Events in Puerto Rico helped scientists understand this
puzzling trend. For the past two decades, Puerto Rico has
recorded the highest known incidence of premature breast
development, with girls as young as two developing breasts.
Several causes have been cited. First of all, most of
these children were fed SOY infant formulas. SOY has plant-
based chemicals that mimic estrogen. The daily exposure to
estrogen from consuming SOY FORMULAS was six to 11 times
higher than for adults. In fact, the blood concentrations
in children were 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than
estrogen levels normally found in the blood!

Clues have also emerged implicating phthalates, chemical
plasticizers: The breast development of the Puerto Rican
children was also linked to phthalate exposure. Researchers
measured the presence of phthalates in the blood of girls
with precocious puberty and found that 68 percent showed
high levels. Phthalates are now everywhere. They are used
in building materials, food packaging and wrap, plastic
toys, medical devices, garden hoses, shoe soles, automobile
undercoating, wires and cables, carpet backing, carpet
tile, pool liners, artificial leather, notebook covers,
tool handles, dishwasher baskets, flea collars, insect
repellents, skin emollients, hair sprays, nail polish, and
perfumes.

THE SILENT INVASION

Hormone disruptors, like silent saboteurs, have invaded
the highly sensitive endocrine systems of our children.
Whether from chemical exposure in the environment, HORMONE-
LADEN MEATS and DAIRY PRODUCTS, or chemically laced
household products, exposure to hormone-disrupting
chemicals is now ubiquitous. Is it any wonder precocious
puberty is a worldwide epidemic? The long-term consequences
of early sexual development are unknown. OUR CHILDREN ARE
UNWITTING PARTICIPANTS IN AN UNPRECEDENTED EXPERIMENT. 

Chemicals have infiltrated every aspect of modern life.
Beginning utero, our children are accumulating chemicals in
their bodies. For some children, the effects may become
evident early in life. For others it may take many years or
even decades before the real harm & the cancers, the
multiple sensitivities, the behavioral problems, the
learning disabilities, the hormone imbalances, and
infertility or sterility-become apparent.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Prevention, protection, and education are always the first
line of action. Reduce hormone disruptors by cleaning up
your living environment. Substitute chemical products with
nontoxic ones. EAT ORGANIC FOOD and drink FILTERED WATER.
Since children with early puberty often have allergies,
food intolerances, candida, digestive problems, and high
levels of toxins and heavy metals, it is imperative to
correct these health problems.

If the indications are caught early, it may be possible to
reverse this condition by CHANGING DIET (ELIMINATING SUGAR,
NON-ORGANIC FOODS, TRANS FATS, ETC); eliminating exposure
to toxic chemicals (i.e., in cleaning and personal care
products and pesticides); and correcting the underlying
health problems. Precocious puberty may be a side effect of
21st -century living. However, THERE IS MUCH THAT CAN BE
DONE TO ENSURE OUR CHILDREN DO NOT BECOME TEENS BEFORE
THEIR TIME. 

 

(This is excerpted from Sherrill Sellman's book, "Mothers: Protect Daughters
from Breast Cancer," and is available at <http://www.ssellman.com>.)