Early Female Puberty

Girls living in higher-income households without biological father may undergo puberty earlier.
The Los Angeles Times (9/17, Stein) "Booster Shots" blog reported that "there may be a link between early puberty and girls living in higher-income households without a biological father," according to a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. Researchers found that "not having a biological father at home was associated with earlier breast development, but only for girls who lived in families with incomes over $50,000." The investigators also found that "not having a father at home was linked with earlier development of pubic hair among African American girls living in higher income homes."
Time (9/17, Luscombe) reported that "the findings...were drawn from a longitudinal study by Kaiser Permanente on the environmental factors affecting puberty, which has so far followed 444 girls since they were 6 to 8 years old. (These results are from the first two years of analysis.)"
HealthDay (9/17, Doheny) reported, "The authors said they can only speculate on the reasons behind the connections. Exposure to more artificial light from TVs or computers is one theory." Still "other possibilities include weak maternal bonding, assuming a single mother is working long hours, or contact with chemicals that may have estrogenic effects -- perhaps hair straighteners in the case of black preteens."
Early puberty in girls associated with lack of maternal-infant bonding. Time (9/17, Rochman) reported that "new research is showing a link between early puberty in girls and a lack of maternal-infant bonding." For the study, researchers "crunched numbers on 373 girls who were followed from birth until their 15th birthday as part of a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development study on early child development." The investigators found that "formerly insecure babies hit puberty two to four months sooner than secure babies and got their periods earlier too."