Most cases of central precocious puberty (CPP) are without a known cause, which is called "idiopathic" CPP. It has been estimated that 69 to 98% of CPP in girls is idiopathic.
Amidst this uncertainty, many theories about what might be causing early puberty have been explored and discussed. I will list all possible causes or factors related to early puberty that I have heard or read about, in the medical literature or elsewhere. (If you know of more please send them to me and I will see what I can find out.)
It's one thing to write all these down, but quite another thing to comprehend their implications. Many of the items on the "environmental exposures" list are used in a wide variety of household products, especially in plastics. It is equally troublesome to wonder if the food you buy at the store for your children could actually be harmful, rather than healthy. Panic and sensationalism don't help us, though. As hard as it is to look at the evidence calmly, that's what has the best chance of helping us find real answers.
In future blog posts I will go through everything on the list, one by one, to examine and discuss the strength of the evidence.
My list includes:
1. The rise of childhood obesity
2. Environment exposures including:
- DDT metabolites
- PBBs
- Phthalates
- Bisphenol A
- DEHA
- Parabens
3. Nutritional hypotheses
- the consumption of soy products
- the consumption of milk, particularly non-organic milk produced using synthetic growth hormones
- the consumption of meat, particularly when animals were raised using synthetic growth hormones
- the consumption of food preservatives, such as BHT and BHA
- tap water (fluoride, etc)
4. Factors within the family and early childhood experiences
5. The impact of migration from a developing country to a developed country
6. Genetic factors
7. Vitamin D connection
8. Lavender and tea tree oil
9. All others
No comments:
Post a Comment