Puberty from 5 to 10 common now, due to chemical exposure.

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Misty

Wed, 28 Apr 2004 03:12:45 +1200

MUST READ: Puberty from 5 to 10 norm now, due to

chemical exposure.

 

 

The Problem of Precocious Puberty

Early sexual development, or precocious puberty, is a growing problem around

the world; and while endocrine disruptors and oestrogen mimics are

implicated, the medical profession generally regards this trend as perfectly

normal.

http://www.nexusmagazine.com/articles/puberty.html

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Extracted from Nexus Magazine, Volume 11, Number 3 (April-May 2004)

PO Box 30, Mapleton Qld 4560 Australia. editor

Telephone: +61 (0)7 5442 9280; Fax: +61 (0)7 5442 9381

From our web page at: www.nexusmagazine.com

 

by Sherrill Sellman © 2004

GetWell International

PO Box 690416

Tulsa, OK 74169-0416, USA

Email: golight

Website: http://www.ssellman.com

 

 

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CHILDREN BECOMING TEENS BEFORE THEIR TIME

Julianne is a devoted mother to her beautiful and healthy-looking

five-year-old daughter. But all was not as it seemed: something strange was

stirring in Sarah's body. One night, while putting Sarah to bed, Julianne

pulled her pyjama top over her daughter's head when Sarah suddenly

exclaimed, " Ouch! That hurt when you touched my nipple. " Julianne was

totally surprised by her daughter's response. Upon taking a closer look, she

noticed that her nipples did appear to be different from what she had

remembered. In fact, they looked bigger.

Julianne immediately called her paediatrician to schedule tests. The results

confirmed that Sarah was going through puberty. The small lumps were, in

fact, breast buds. Sarah's breasts were actually developing. But she was

only five years old! How could this possibly be?

The doctor explained that Sarah had a condition called " precocious puberty " .

Julianne sat there in shock as the specialist informed her that the medical

community now considers eight years of age to be the normal age for the

beginning of puberty!

" While I always believed that little girls go through puberty at around

eleven, twelve or thirteen years of age, something very strange was now

happening to our daughters. I was now being told that little girls are

considered 'normal' if they start menstruating at the delicate age of

eight! "

But there is certainly nothing normal about an eight-year-old hormonally

fast-forwarding into puberty.

 

THINKING THE UNTHINKABLE

It's hard enough trying to keep little girls as little girls these days. The

teeny-bopper fascination with such sex symbols as Britney Spears has little

girls trying to act much older than they are. If bearing the belly button in

sexy midriff tops isn't enough to cause great consternation to parents, then

the growing phenomenon of budding breasts and pubic hair certainly does.

Discovering that their little girl has breast buds or pubic hair is a tragic

shock to parents.

Early sexual development—precocious puberty—seems to be happening

everywhere. It's a common sight these days to see nine- and ten-year-old

girls with developing breasts playing in the school playground. Something is

seriously amiss.

Presently, one girl out of six eight-year-olds in the USA, Australia and

Britain is racing into puberty. In fact, it is a pattern emerging in young

girls all over the world. Reports of early puberty have come from many

diverse countries and climates including Canada, Europe, Asia and the

Caribbean. This compares with one in 100 a generation ago.

Precocious puberty is a phenomenon not only occurring in girls; boys are

also experiencing their version of precocious puberty. Research published in

the journal Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine found that

American boys appear to be beginning puberty earlier than in past decades. A

significant number of boys as young as eight had signs of genital

development some three years earlier than previous estimates.1 In the UK, it

is estimated that one in 14 eight-year-old British boys had pubic hair, in

contrast to one in 150 boys of the previous generation.2

The onset of menstruation has been steadily getting earlier and earlier in

Western countries. It wasn't very long ago when a teenage girl's first

menstruation would arrive between the ages of fourteen and sixteen. Today,

the average age of the first menstruation is under twelve years of age. For

many girls, however, it is happening much earlier. In Britain, 50 per cent

of ten-year-old girls are now menstruating.

A groundbreaking study in 1997 of 17,000 girls sent shock waves through the

medical community. The study found that the initial signs of puberty were

occurring earlier than previously recorded. The study found that 27 per cent

of African-American and almost seven per cent of Caucasian girls had the

onset of secondary sexual characteristics, i.e., either breast development

or pubic hair development by age seven. By the time girls turn eight years

old, one in seven white girls and one out of two Afro-American girls will be

starting puberty! Even more startling was the finding that one per cent of

Caucasian and three per cent of African-American girls show these

characteristic by three years of age!3

How common is this trend? " Young girls in the five- to ten- year-old range

with breasts and pubic hair—we encounter this every day in our clinic, " says

Michael Feemark, chief of paediatric endocrinology at Duke University

Medical Center in the USA.4 Similar findings were also reported from a study

of 14,000 children from Bristol University's Institute of Child Health in

the UK.5

The development of secondary sexual characteristics in girls is a

significant event, signalling the onset of physiological and psychological

changes of profound importance. Many scientists and doctors are very

concerned. This is not only a worrying trend but a very serious public

health problem. Before they have outgrown doll's houses, many young girls

are being faced with the confusing mood swings, hormonal changes and sexual

attention that accompany physical maturation.

The ramifications for public health are dramatic. Studies have found that

girls who reach puberty earlier tend to have sex earlier, have an increased

risk of pregnancy, experience more psychological stress, poor mental health,

more behavioural problems, and are more likely to drink, smoke, have a lower

IQ and commit suicide. For boys, it can mean more aggressive, violent

behaviour, learning disabilities and more drug and alcohol abuse.

But the most disturbing consequence of early puberty in females is the

well-established risk for pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer as well as

ovarian cancer. According to a study published in Nature (1989), the risk

associated with having an early menstruation—for instance, one that takes

place at the age of ten—is approximately twice that associated with a

menstruation occurring at the age of sixteen.6 In addition, girls showing

early signs of puberty have increased risks of polycystic ovarian syndrome,

menstrual irregularities, acne, excessive facial hair and infertility.

Early puberty in males can increase their incidence of testicular cancer,

lower fertility and impaired growth leading to shorter stature. A researcher

into precocious puberty, Dr Marcia Herman-Giddens, adjunct professor of

maternal and child health at the University of North Carolina, said, " It's

probably not healthy, since earlier studies have shown that the sooner a boy

starts puberty, the higher his risk is of developing testicular cancer, just

as early-maturing girls are at greater risk of developing breast cancer " .7

 

 

THE SILENT INVASION

Since early puberty is a well-established risk for breast cancer, the

earlier a woman reaches puberty, the longer her breast tissues will be

exposed to potentially harmful agents (chemicals, radiation and oestrogen).8

Even though a girl may begin menstruating, it is unusual for her to be

ovulating every month. Since ovulation is necessary for the production of

progesterone, early puberty is often a condition that results in oestrogen

production without the protective effects of progesterone. This hormonal

imbalance adds to a girl's body-burden of oestrogen excess, putting her at

increased risk of oestrogen-dependent cancers and other hormonal problems.

It has been known for some time that the younger a woman is when she starts

her periods, the higher her risk of developing breast cancer later in life.

The younger a woman is, the longer her overall exposure to high levels of

oestrogens.

Dr Carlos Sonnenschein of the Tufts University School of Medicine warns that

" …the length and amount of exposure to oestrogen is one of the most

significant risk factors in breast carcinogenesis. Unless you are exposed to

oestrogens, you don't get breast cancer. The longer the exposure is, the

higher the incidence. Therefore, if you decrease the age of the first

menstruation, you are at higher risk " .9

The experts are confused. It is absurd to think that early puberty is the

result of better nutrition, as many scientists assert. One connection is

that it seems to be linked with obesity. An increase in obesity in children

and lack of exercise has a direct relationship to this problem. Since the

1960s, the number of overweight kids and adolescents in the United States

has nearly doubled. Today, 10 per cent of two-to five-year-olds and more

than 15 per cent of children between the ages of six and nineteen are

overweight.10 Childhood obesity is also a major public health concern

throughout the world including in Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland,

Germany, Italy and Canada.11

One explanation looks at a protein called leptin that encourages early

breast development. Leptin is produced from fat cells and is necessary for

the progression of puberty. So, the more fat cells, the more leptin is

produced by the body. In addition, overweight girls have more insulin

circulating in their blood. High levels of insulin stimulate the production

of sex hormones such as oestrogen, adding to an oestrogen excess.

Is it just the fast foods and sedentary lifestyle that are piling up the

leptin-producing fat? Perhaps not.

A 20-year study found that the greater the prenatal level of the hormone

disruptor polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), the heavier the girls were at age

fourteen and their puberty was statistically earlier.12

Could prenatal exposure to hormone disruptors play a role in obesity? A

study based on this idea was conducted by Dr Walter Rogan, an epidemiologist

at the National Institute of Environmental Heath Sciences. He chose 600

pregnant women and measured the levels of chemicals in their bodies; then,

when their babies were born, the researchers measured the chemicals in the

mothers' breast milk, and finally, the children were monitored as they grew

into puberty. What was found was that boys exposed to DDE and girls exposed

to PCBs were heavier than their unexposed peers were. The study also found

that girls with high prenatal PCB exposure tended to hit the first stages of

puberty a bit earlier.13

In fact, the most significant guilty party is looking more and more like

endocrine disruptors. Circulating around the world are thousands of these

endocrine-disrupting chemicals which are now found everywhere—in our food,

water and the air we breathe.

Events occurring in Puerto Rico have helped unravel this puzzling trend. For

the past two decades, Puerto Rico has recorded the highest known incidence

of premature breast development. It was discovered that girls as young as

two years of age were developing breasts. Several reasons have been cited

for this situation. First of all, most of these children were fed soy infant

formulas. A 1997 Lancet study showed that soy has plant-based chemicals that

mimic oestrogen, displaying a wide range of hormonal activities. The daily

exposure in infants who consumed soy formulas was 6 to 11 times higher than

in adults who consumed soy foods. In fact, the blood concentrations of these

hormones in the children were 13,000 to 22,000 times higher than oestrogen

levels normally found in the blood!14

Clues have also emerged, implicating endocrine disruptors. In a significant

study, the early breast development of the Puerto Rican children was linked

to exposure to phthalates, a ubiquitous chemical plasticiser. The

researchers measured the presence of certain phthalates in the blood of 41

girls experiencing early breast development and made comparisons with a

control group. The average age was 31 months. They found that 68 per cent of

the precocious puberty girls had high levels of phthalates in their blood.15

Phthalates have infiltrated our world. They are in common industrial

chemicals that make plastics flexible without sacrificing strength or

durability. They are found in building materials, food packaging and food

wrap, toys and other children's products, medical devices, garden hoses,

shoe soles, automobile undercoating, wires and cables, carpet backing,

carpet tiles, vinyl tiles, swimming pool liners, artificial leather, canvas

tarpaulins, notebook covers, tool handles, dishwasher baskets, flea collars,

insect repellents, skin emollients, hairsprays, nail polish and perfumes.

John Peterson " Pete " Myers, co-author of Our Stolen Future, agrees.

" Contamination in the womb can speed or retard sexual development, " Myers

said. " These compounds interfere with hormones that control the pace and

pattern of development. " 16

Chemicals that are suspected of having effects on sexual development include

bisphenol-A and polybrominated biphenyls, chemicals found in plastic, and

phthalates, which are found in cosmetics.17

Hormone disruptors, like silent saboteurs, have invaded the highly sensitive

endocrine systems of our children. Whether from toxins in the environment,

or hormone-laden meat and dairy products or chemical-laced foods and

household products, exposure to dangerous chemicals has reached a level

unprecedented in the entire history of human civilisation. Is there any

wonder why precocious puberty is a worldwide phenomenon?

The fact that early puberty is a known risk factor for breast cancer should

be of great concern to all parents, and all possible precautions must be

taken to safeguard children from unnecessary exposure. No one really knows

the long-term consequences of early sexual development. This is an

unprecedented experiment on our children.

Hardly a minute goes by without our being exposed to some chemical. It may

be from car exhaust, room freshener, artificial fragrances, a McDonald's

hamburger and Coke, baby shampoo, dry cleaning, coloured popcorn, furniture

polish, the fire retardant on new school clothes, plastic water bottles, dry

cleaning, fly spray, and on and on it goes. Beginning in utero, our children

are accumulating chemicals in their bodies little by little, day in and day

out, for years and years. For some children, the effects may become evident

quickly; for others, it may take many years or decades before the real

harm—the cancers, the multiple sensitivities, the behavioural problems, the

learning disabilities and the infertility—becomes apparent.

 

HORMONES IN THE FOOD SUPPLY

Commercial beef and pasteurised dairy products consistently have the highest

levels of persistent hormone disruptors. As of 1995, the US Food and Drug

Administration allowed the use of implanted hormonal agents for raising beef

cattle. These include the female hormones oestradiol and progesterone, the

synthetic progesterone norgestomet, the male hormone testosterone and the

synthetic anabolic steroids trenbolene and Zeranol. Growth agents that do

not have to be implanted include a progestin that can be added to the

animals' feed. Animals given these hormonal agents are not required to go

through a withdrawal period prior to slaughter. Indeed, the FDA does not

require mandatory recording of medication or treatment of animals destined

for our plates.

Three natural hormones (oestradiol-17ß, testosterone and progesterone) and

two synthetic substances (trenbolone and Zeranol) are also approved for use

in many other countries, including Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

Hormones in beef have serious oestrogenic and carcinogenic effects—effects

which the cancer establishment, the FDA and the cattle industry have been

well aware of for decades. Yet the real dangers they pose, especially when

it comes to women and breast cancer, have remained in the shadows until only

recently.18 (Non-organic meats like pork, veal, lamb and poultry, although

uncontaminated by sex hormones, contain pesticides and a wide range of

veterinary drugs.)

Not surprisingly, a random survey in 1986 found that up to half of all

cattle sampled in feedlots in Kansas, Colorado, Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma

had hormone pellets illegally implanted in muscle tissue rather than under

the ear. This practice led to higher absorption of hormones from the

implants and very much higher residues that even the FDA admitted could have

" adverse effects " .19

According to Dr Samuel Epstein, Professor of Occupational and Environmental

Medicine at the University of Illinois School of Public Health: " Records of

hormone levels in beef, obtained under the Federal Freedom of Information

Act from the FDA, show that even when ranchers implant single hormone

pellets beneath the ear skin under ideal laboratory conditions, levels of

oestradiol and other hormones in meat and organs are more than triple the

levels found in non-implanted controls. Much higher levels, up to

three-hundred-fold, result from the common practice of illegal intramuscular

implants… " 20

Cattle today are receiving a lot more hormones than ever before. In 1990,

the FDA ruled in favour of doubling the dose of hormones allowed in cattle.

As a result of this new ruling, some feedlots now put implants in each ear

for more bulk at a faster rate. This is because feedlots are paid by weight

for their product.21

The FDA's reports in hormonal implants give us cause to worry. In 1983, the

FDA found that Synovex-S, a product containing oestradiol and progestin,

increased oestradiol concentrations in cattle muscle by twelvefold, in liver

by sixfold, in kidneys by ninefold and in fat by twenty-three-fold. When

cattle are slaughtered following implantation, levels are even higher. With

multiple implants, they are higher still; with intramuscular implants, yet

even higher. Some hormones are fed to cattle in feedlots.22

The extent to which hormonal meat contributes to increased rates of breast

cancer, apart from cancer of the uterus, prostate and testes, has been

virtually ignored. Hormonal beef may also have another endocrine-disruptive

side effect: early puberty.

It comes as no surprise that the European Union has banned the importation

of hormone-treated US beef. Americans, unfortunately, are getting a

pharmacopoeia of steroid drugs every time they chow down a hamburger or hot

dog. For children, eating hormone-laced meat on a regular basis seriously

increases their oestrogen exposure.

It should be obvious by now that organically raised meat is the only safe

meat to eat. Free of chemicals, sprayed feed, antibiotics and

hormone-injected growth stimulators, organic, grass-fed beef is by far

healthier and more nutritious than the commercial kind.

What about poultry and fish? With the use of growth promoters and

antibiotics in the poultry industry, organic chickens and turkeys are,

without doubt, the safer option.

Fish has always been considered a healthy alternative to meat.

Unfortunately, it is getting harder and harder to find clean fish, either

freshwater or ocean. Freshwater fish appear to be among the most heavily

contaminated of foods. Top predator fish, like pike and walleye, are likely

to be contaminated with heavy metals like mercury—a hormone disruptor.

Farmed salmon are raised on various drugs, chemicals and hormones, and

shellfish often concentrate cadmium—another endocrine-disrupting heavy

metal. (Diets high in adequate calcium, protein, iron and zinc help protect

against cadmium absorption). The very best fish to eat are deep-sea fish

such as halibut, non–fish farm salmon, sardines, cod and mackerel.

 

WHAT CAN BE DONE

With the red flags waving, you would think that the medical profession would

be leading the charge against contamination and exposure to

hormone-disrupting chemicals. After all, they are in the trenches, daily

witnessing the rising number of children with precocious puberty. Surely

they should be the ones jumping up and down and yelling and screaming the

loudest for something to be done.

It is therefore rather shocking that a report by a nationwide network of

physicians headquartered in California suggested that it is perfectly normal

for Caucasian girls as young as seven and black girls as young as six to

start developing breasts!23 Perfectly normal?

Instead of facing up to the implications of what is contributing to this

aberration and leading the charge for immediate investigation into the

causes and solutions, the medical community prefers to ignore a looming

tragedy. They have redefined what is considered normal to reflect current

trends.

By claiming that nothing is wrong, no fingers are pointed, no accusations

are laid and no one is held accountable. Industries and corporations can

merrily continue going about their business of contaminating and polluting.

Presently, the only treatment for precocious puberty available from

traditional medical doctors is the dangerous drug, Lupron. According to the

Physicians' Desk Reference, Lupron has 265 possible risks and side-effects,

including cancer. Lupron can cause severe problems such as tremors, seizures

and memory loss.

The FDA has received a wide range of reports of serious side-effects,

including death, suspected to be associated with the use of Lupron.

However, the agency asserts that the drug's benefits outweigh the risks, and

does not believe there is sufficient proof to blame Lupron. (For more

information, visit the National Lupron Victims Network at the website

http://www.lupronvictims.com/.)

There are ways to help children either slow the development of precocious

puberty or even possibly reverse this condition.

Holistic healing modalities such as traditional Chinese medicine (TCM),

naturopathy, homoeopathy, chiropractic and other holistic medical approaches

have been able to help children get their hormonal health back on track,

thus reducing some of the physiological dysfunctions contributing to early

development.

In addition to having a high body-burden of endocrine-disrupting chemicals,

children with precocious puberty tend to have compromised digestive systems,

candida from overuse of antibiotics, food allergies, nutritional

deficiencies, over-burdened livers and heavy metal toxicity.

The earlier this problem is identified, the greater the success of reversing

the signs of puberty. Unfortunately, orthodox medicine has no answers nor

solutions and can only address the problem by prescribing powerful, toxic

drugs that turn off the endocrine system.

In addition, all external sources of hormones and hormone-mimicking

chemicals should be avoided. These include non-organic meat, pasteurised

dairy products, sugar and refined carbohydrates, junk food, agricultural and

industrial chemicals, and all commercial household cleaning products and

personal care products (suntan lotion, shampoos, bubble baths, moisturisers,

etc.). Our bodies, our homes, our gardens and our schools should be made

chemical-free zones.

Precocious puberty is a perilous experiment of 21st-century living, making

children teens before their time. However, with vigilance, education and the

commitment to making healthy changes, our children's endocrine well-being

and their future health can be ensured. 8

 

GUIDELINES FOR REDUCING EXPOSURE TO OESTROGEN DISRUPTORS

1. Eliminate any pesticide, herbicide and insecticide use on lawns and

gardens. Even some commercial composts may be contaminated with chemicals.

Effective organic products are available, or learn to make your own pest

control formulas. Make your own organic compost.

2. Lobby in your community to stop the spraying of hormone-disrupting

chemicals in and around schools and city properties.

3. Make as much of your diet organic as possible. This will eliminate the

toxic, hormone-disrupting chemicals that are sprayed on fruits and

vegetables. Also, buy organic meat, poultry, dairy foods and butter that are

free of steroid hormones and antibiotics. Organic foods have been found to

contain higher amounts of vitamins and minerals.24 Be aware that the

following commercially grown fruits and vegetables have been found by the

Environmental Working Group to contain the highest levels of pesticide

contamination: spinach, strawberries, apricots, cantaloupe, green beans,

peaches, bell peppers, celery, cucumbers, cherries and grapes.

Glutamine-rich foods help the liver remove environmental waste and give

protection against pollution: broccoli, cauliflower and other cruciferous

vegetables, asparagus, spinach, watermelon, pears, squash and potatoes.

Allylsulphide-containing foods like garlic, shallots, onions and chives

stimulate glutathione production. Miso, fermented soybean paste and seaweed

remove pollution and radiation from the body.

4. Thoroughly wash non-organic fruits and vegetables with either a fruit and

vegetable wash available at health food stores, or soak them in an apple

cider vinegar and water bath.

A Clorox bath is most effective and inexpensive for removing bacteria,

parasites, pesticides and other contaminants from food. Add a teaspoon of

Clorox to one gallon (3.785 litres) of water. Soak leafy vegetables and

thin-skinned fruit (berries, plums, peaches, etc.) for 15 minutes; root,

thick-skinned or fibrous vegetables and thick-skinned fruits (oranges,

bananas, apples) and poultry, fish and eggs for 20 minutes.

Frozen meats (not ground meat) can be thawed in a Clorox bath for about 20

minutes for up to five pounds (2.267 kilograms) of frozen meat. Remove the

foods from the Clorox bath, place them in clear water for 10 minutes, and

rinse. Dry all foods thoroughly and store. Warning: use only Clorox, and no

other brand of bleach, since it does not contain any chlorine.

5. Use organic personal care products. Most deodorants, shampoos,

sunscreens, skin care, body care and baby products contain carcinogenic or

toxic chemicals. According to a US General Accounting Office Report:

" Cosmetics are being marketed in the United States which may pose a serious

hazard to the public. Over 2,983 chemicals used in cosmetics…and one-third

(884) of these ingredients have been reported as toxic substances… "

6. Don't let children chew on soft plastic toys. Phthalates are added to

soften PVC plastic toys. These plastic toys also retain any pesticides

sprayed in the house for up to two weeks. Buy unfinished wood or natural

fibre toys.

7. Avoid lice and scabies shampoos containing lindane and synthetic

pyrethroid. Lindane has been shown to promote tumour growth the same way

oestrogen did.

8. Teach your children to wash their hands frequently and not to lick their

fingers or bite their nails. Since chemicals inevitably get deposited on

surfaces, frequent cleaning with organic cleaning products is a safe,

preventive measure.

9. Whenever possible, avoid buying canned foods or foods wrapped in plastic.

Make sure you remove foods from packaging as soon as possible. Use glassware

for oven cooking. (Note that using microwave ovens is not advised; however,

if you must use one, make sure you use only glass cookware.)

10. Carefully read the labels of foods, personal care products, household

cleaners, cosmetics, lawn and garden supplies and pet supplies. Become

familiar with the dangerous chemicals found in such products and be willing

to buy other, safe brands.

11. Install a water filter. Pesticides, other chemicals, rotting leaves and

other debris combine in drinking water. Heavy metals from household pipes

and plumbing can be an added concern.

12. Use plants for filtering chemicals from the air in your home. Even

chemicals emitted from new carpets or curtains can be filtered by common

household plants. For instance, Boston ferns can detoxify 1,000 micrograms

of formaldehyde from the air in one hour.25

13. Get exercise. Sweating eliminates all kinds of chemicals that would

otherwise be eliminated through the body's other excretory organs (the

kidneys and bowel).

14. Avoid pet products such as flea collars and washes which contain toxic

substances which are dangerous to animals but also get transferred to pet

owners. 8

 

 

 

About the Author:

Dr Sherrill Sellman, ND, is the author of the best-selling books Hormone

Heresy: What Women MUST Know About Their Hormones (GetWell International,

1996, 2001, 4th edition) and MOTHERS: Prevent Your Daughters From Getting

Breast Cancer, as well as an international lecturer and women's health

advocate. To to her free monthly newsletter, go to

http://www.ssellman.com.

Sherrill will facilitate a Women's Rejuvenation Retreat in Australia in

November 2004; call 1800 644 733 in Australia for details.

 

 

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Footnotes:

1. Herman-Giddens, Marcia E., Wang, Lily and Koch, Gary, " Secondary Sexual

Characteristics in Boys: Estimates From the National Health and Nutrition

Examination Survey III, 1988–1994 " , Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med, Sep 2001;

155:1022-1028

2. Golding, J., Pembrey, M. and Jones, R., " ALSPAC Study Team " , Paediatr

Perinat Epidemiol 2001 Jan;15(1):74-87

3. Herman-Giddens, M.E., Slora, E.J., Wasserman, R.C., Bourdony, C.J.,

Bhapkar, M.V., Koch, G.G. and Hassemeir, C.H. (1997), " Secondary sexual

characteristics and menses in young girls seen in office practice: a study

from the Pediatric

Research Office Settings Network " , Pediatrics 99(4):505-512

4. Lemonick, M.D. (2000), " Teens Before Their Time " , Time Magazine, October

30, 2000,

pp. 66-74

5. Golding, Pembrey and Jones, ibid.

6. Environmental News Network, http://www.enn.com/news/enn-stories/2001

7. Herman-Giddens, Wang and Koch, ibid.

8. Bueckert, Dennis, " Hormone-treated Beef Thought To Trigger Puberty

Sooner " , Canadian Press, August 2, 1999, http://www.cp.org

9. Berkson, D. Lindsey, Hormone Deception, Contemporary Books, Chicago,

Illinois, p. 108

10. http://preventdisease.com/news/

articles/overweight_obese_growing_rate_us.shtml

11. Booth, M.L., Wake, M., Armstrong, T., Chey, T., Hesketh, K. and Mathur,

S., " The epidemiology of overweight and obesity among Australian children

and adolescents, 1995–97 " , Aust NZ J Public Health 2001 Apr;25(2):162-9

12. Lemonick, ibid.

13. Lemonick, ibid.

14. Setchel, K.D., Zimmer-Nechemias, L., Cai, J. and Heubi, J.E., " Exposure

in infants to phyto-oestrogens from soy-based infant formula " , Lancet 1997

Jul; 350(9070):23-27

15. Colón, I., Caro, D., Bourdony, C. J. and Rosario, O. (2000),

" Identification of phthalate esters in the serum of young Puerto Rican girls

with premature breast development " , Environmental Health Perspectives

108:895-900.

16. http://www.mindfully.org/Health/

Early-Onset-Puberty.htm

17. ibid.

18. Epstein, Dr Samuel, The Breast Cancer Prevention Program, Macmillan, New

York, NY, 1997, p. 193

19. ibid., p. 194

20. ibid., p. 196

21. ibid., p. 194

22. Berkson, ibid., p. 209

23. http://www.caresfoundation.org/endosoc.html

24. " Organic food has more healthy compounds " , March 11, 2003,

http://www.planetark.com/

dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/20112/story.htm

25. http://www.bsu.edu/web/IEN/archives/

2000/090700.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

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