Absence of father at home linked to early puberty in girls
September 17th, 2010 - 2:24 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Sep 17 (ANI): A new research has shown that girls in homes without a biological father are more likely to hit puberty at an earlier age.
According to the new study led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley’s School of Public Health, the absence of a biologically related father in the home predicted earlier breast and pubic hair development, but only for girls in higher income households. The findings held even after the girls’ weight was taken into account.
In this new study, researchers recruited 444 girls ages 6-8 through Kaiser Permanente Northern California, and have been following them annually. Their analysis was based on the first two years of follow-up. They considered signs of puberty that occur before the start of menarche. In interviews with the girls’ caregivers, the researchers asked about the residents in the girls’ homes and their relationships to the children.
Among the girls studied, 80 reported biological father absence at the time of recruitment. Contrary to what the researchers expected, the absence of a biologically related father was linked to earlier breast development for girls in higher income families - those having annual household incomes of 50,000 dollars or more. Father absence predicted earlier onset of pubic hair development only in higher income African Americans families.
Another theory that has been posited is that girls without a biological father in the home are exposed more to unrelated adult males - specifically, the pheromones of these males - that lead to earlier onset of puberty. However, in this study, the presence of other adult males, including stepfathers, in the home did not alter the findings.
Another possibility is that higher income girls in father-absent homes may be exposed to more artificial light - which has been shown to accelerate puberty in animal studies - through television, computers and other forms of technology, according to the study authors. The researchers also suggested that higher income African American girls may be more exposed to certain beauty products, such as hair straighteners, which have estrogenic properties that could influence pubertal timing.
The findings will be published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. (ANI)
- Study indicates that young girls are entering puberty earlier - Aug 09, 2010
- Site in brain where leptin may trigger puberty identified - Dec 23, 2010
- 'Deep sleep, not brain, switches on puberty' - Sep 13, 2012
- Absent fathers hasten menstruation - Sep 04, 2008
- Women born to older mothers may develop breast cancer - Feb 07, 2012
- Genes linking puberty to body fat in women discovered - Nov 22, 2010
- Faster growth during puberty triggers anxiety - Sep 02, 2011
- Childhood obesity could erode fertility later - Aug 01, 2012
- Without dads boys go wild, girls unaffected - Nov 27, 2011
- Starting periods before the age of 10 ups risk of lung complaints in future - Apr 06, 2011
- Early period leads to baby girls: Study - May 02, 2011
- Early alcohol, tobacco use might delay onset of puberty in girls - Sep 15, 2010
- Girls' first period linked to genes, not diet: Study - Apr 13, 2011
- Age of onset of puberty predicts adult osteoporosis risk - Jan 29, 2011
- Girls with childhood abuse history 'at early menarche risk' - May 19, 2009
Tags: adult males, animal studies, biological father, breast development, early puberty in girls, father absence, girls ages, hair development, household incomes, income households, kaiser permanente, menarche, onset of puberty, pheromones, puberty in girls, school of public health, signs of puberty, stepfathers, study researchers, university of california berkeley