The headline from a recent article in the Nouvel Observateur read: “Where have the little girls gone?”. It seems that the transition to adolescence is occurring at a younger and younger age. It’s a trend that worries child psychiatrists who are convinced of the importance of the Freudian “latency stage”, the protected haven that constitutes childhood.
Biologically, young girls are becoming women quicker than in the past: although the age of getting their first period hasn’t changed much for half a century (12.5 years on average), mammary glands are appearing earlier. Between 10% and 25% of young girls show signs of puberty from the age of 7 onwards, which was extremely rare a few decades ago.
The cause? A diet that’s more varied and richer than a century ago: little girls have all the nutrients necessary to grow up fast and excess weight which is more and more common) favours a high level of oestrogen, the hormone responsible for puberty. Pesticides and other chemical elements are also accused of accelerating the puberty process.
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Tags : adolescence, childhood, mum, puberty
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