CONNECTIONS: Early Puberty Could Be a Sign of Stress at Home

by Swaha Devi

When psychologists from the University of Arizona and the University of Wisconsin–Madison tracked children from preschool through middle school, they found something remarkable: The first hormonal signs of puberty appeared much earlier in children who lacked parental support or who faced a negative, stressful environment at home. Explains Bruce Ellis, associate professor in the Division of Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona, growing up fast is tied to surviving, both as an individual and as a species. “Children who grow up in environments that are dangerous and unpredictable tend to grow up faster.”

The early maturity is most prominent in girls, which makes evolutionary sense because the child-bearing age is affected by the stress of living in a world full of perceived or actual danger. Stress signals the adrenals to produce hormones, including sex hormones.

While other factors are involved in early puberty, parents are advised to pay attention to whether the home environment is nurturing. If not, it could be an early predictor of other serious physical developments later in life, including breast cancer, as a result of prolonged exposure to the effects of estrogen.