Precocious Puberty: Trends, Contributing Factors, and Treatment

Precocious puberty (PP) was defined as pubertal changes occurring before age 8 in girls and 9 in boys. Recent studies in the US and Europe confirmed a trend toward earlier puberty, linked to factors like obesity, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, and intrauterine growth restriction. A 1997 study by Herman-Giddens et al found breast development in 15% of African American girls and 5% of white girls at age 7, prompting new guidelines from the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society. More recent data by Biro et al reported the onset of breast development at 8.8 years for African American, 9.3 years for Hispanic, and 9.7 years for both white non-Hispanic and Asian girls.