Early developers

Press Association

No one knows for sure what causes early puberty. It could be genetic, children with parents who reached puberty early have also been found to develop early.

The modern, fatty diet could also have something to do with it. Being overweight may trick the female body into maturing sooner. Certainly, underweight girls go through puberty later than the national average.

Stress, caused by divorce, etc. could also be partly responsible.

More alarmingly, chemical pesticides getting into the human food chain could be to blame. These chemicals can break down into compounds that mimic the effects of the female hormone oestrogen. Consuming soya beans can have a similar effect to this. Soya beans contain phyto-oestrogens and these increase levels of oestrogen in the body.

So far, there is no evidence that early puberty causes any longterm health problems. It can, however, be responsible for short-term emotional problems. Pre-teens lack the mental maturity to deal with the changes that are happening to their bodies. Consequently, there has been a lot of pressure to start the process of sex education in infant schools. Knowledge about periods and puberty should help to give girls who enter puberty early the support they need to cope with it.

So, how do we balance the emotional and physical needs of children who are reaching puberty early Do we teach children as young as eight the facts of life Or should we allow our children to hang on to their innocence as long as possible To give your opinion, click here.