14.6.10
Times of India

Girls hitting puberty before 10,says study

Growing numbers of girls are reaching puberty before the age of 10,raising fears of increased sexual activity among a new generation of children.

Scientists believe the phenomenon could be linked to obesity or exposure to chemicals in the food chain,and is putting girls at greater longterm risk of breast cancer.

A study conducted by researchers at University Hospital in Copenhagen has revealed that breast development in a sample of 1,000 girls started at an average age of 9 years and 10 months an entire year earlier than when a similar cohort was examined in 1991.
Hitting puberty early can mean longer exposure to oestrogen,which is a factor in breast cancer.There is also a greater risk of heart disease.

A number of artificially produced chemicals have been blamed for interfering with sexual development,notably bisphenol A,a plastic found in the lining of tin cans and babies feeding bottles.Another factor in puberty could be diet.Kids are eating more than previous generations and growing bigger many are turning obese.

13.6.10
Puberty for girls begins at 9 now

London, June 13 : A large number of girls are now reaching puberty before the age of 10, say scientists who believe the phenomenon could be linked to obesity or exposure to chemicals in the food chain.

A study has revealed that breast development in a sample of 1,000 girls started at an average age of nine years and 10 months - an entire year earlier than when a similar cohort was examined in 1991.

The research was conducted in Denmark in 2006, the latest year for which figures were available, but experts say the trend applies to Britain and other parts of Europe.

Data from America also point to the earlier onset of puberty.

The scientists have warned that such young girls are ill-equipped to cope with sexual development when they are still at primary school, and they could be at a greater long-term risk of developing breast cancer.

"We were very surprised that there had been such a change in a period of just 15 years," The Times quoted Anders Juul, head of the Department of Growth and Reproduction at the University hospital in Copenhagen, a world leader in the study of hormones and growth, as saying.

"If girls mature early, they run into teenage problems at an early age and they're more prone to diseases later on. We should be worried about this regardless of what we think the underlying reasons might be. It's a clear sign that something is affecting our children, whether it's junk food, environmental chemicals or lack of physical activity," Juul added.



18.6.10
Times of India

Sex education can start at age 5: UK watchdog

LONDON: Sex education should be taught to children from the age of five to give them the skills and confidence to delay sexual intimacy until they are ready, a British health watchdog said on Thursday.

Inadequate sex education at a young age is widely seen as contributing to Britain’s steep rate of teenage conception, still amongst the highest in Europe despite a 13% fall over the past decade.

The latest guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is in draft form and will not be compulsory, but the agency said it expected local authorities and others to follow it.

NICE said school governors should ensure education about sex and relationships and alcohol starts in primary school, which British children attend from the age of five. “Topics should be introduced and covered in a way that is appropriate to the maturity of pupils,” it said.