Is This Happening Way Too Early?

Keep in mind that no matter what might be the cause for this, once it starts, there is not likely anything you can do to reverse it now. If your pediatrician suggests hormone therapy, you may want to conduct a thorough research on the subject before allowing it. I would talk to other doctors that were trained from other perspectives, such as a naturopath or a chiropractor, and I would talk with a pharmacist. There is nothing wrong with asking your pediatrician what he/she thinks and suggests. You can get much good information there, but I would not act on only what an MD recommends without doing more research. They know a lot, but their training is narrow and limited to mostly pharmaceutical approaches.

This happened to my niece. I suspected it may have been induced by medical interventions. Her mom was given a hormone by the doctor to bring on her delayed period when she was actually pregnant but the test did not indicate so. Also, my niece had been on anti-seizure meds for more than a year following a minor stroke from a broken blood vessel. The MDs mistook the stroke for a brain tumor and did brain surgery when she was 6. You may want to prepare your daughter for an early onset of her menses as well. My niece started hers before she was 9.

I have since learned that this is becoming more common so I would consider other things that all children are exposed to. I agree with what a nurse wrote to you. Feeding growth hormones to farm animals aught to be considered criminal. My son started to develop breasts at 13. I did some research and found that this is becoming increasing common due to the human growth hormone fed to farm animals. But it isn't just in the dairy products. It affects all meat and dairy that is not labeled organic or hormone free. I try to buy meat and dairy from farms that never feed animals such hormones or a daily diet of antibiotics. Farms are owned by big business now and the animals on those farms are kept caged and are crowded together in hideous conditions. The only way to keep disease down under those conditions is to feed them antibiotics on a daily basis.

After a few years of buying organic dairy and being much more careful about tainted meat products, our son's chest is back to normal. It helps that my husband hunts and we often have things like wild turkey, venison, and fish.

I spend more on groceries than I used to, but after seeing how those poor animals are farmed, it turns my stomach to support such things. Since mothers do most of the grocery shopping and we don't want our children poisoned, we really do have the power to entirely change this industry.

Children today are also exposed to far more vaccines than when I was a child. Some of the ingredients in these vaccines can induce hormonal changes. We do not have the studies we need to prove such things one way or another, but if more people looked at the list of ingredients in those shots and researched the toxic effects they have on developing bodies, I'm sure we would insist on better studies.

So, the only recommendation I have is to be vigilant about toxic exposures. Since your daughter is using deodorant, I would suggest making it a natural deodorant and to not use an antiperspirant. Be grateful that all you are seeing are signs of early physical development. So many children today are responding to their environment with extreme allergies, asthma, and neurological developmental delays.

Best of luck to you!

My first thought was that it may be due to all the the hormones used in non-organic meats and dairy. Then, I read Kathy L's response and I agree totally with everything she has said. There are so many chemicals in plastics, make-up, bath/body products, and food that mimic estrogen and can wreak havoc on your body's natural hormones. They say kids are going through puberty at an earlier and earlier age, and also increasing is the amount of synthetic hormones and toxins they are exposed to. I think there is a direct link here.

It costs a bit more, but PLEASE only use organic meats and diary products. Better yet would be to buy organic produce as well, but lets take baby steps. You can find coupons on organicvalley.com website for organic milk and cheese, etc. Most grocery stores offer a brand of meat that is hormone free, antibiotic free, but not necessarily organic (but still better than traditional meat with hormones added). I actually bought some organic meat the other day that was 50 cents cheaper than the regular! Also, each time you buy something organic, you are making a statement to the chemical-laden food industry that you want healthier products. The more consumers demand organic, healthy foods, the more food industries will listen. Eventually, as organic food becomes more common, prices will drop.

Anyway, please take a look at her diet (and visit a naturopathic doctor to help you) and figure out any source of additional, synthetic hormones that she is getting that could be harming her. It is also important to start early with your son's diet, as the earlier you start, the fewer damaging effects there will be.

Hope this helps, and please contact me if you need more information.
C. G.

wish I had better advice for you, my own daughter is 8 and is on the small size for her age and has not developed any of those things yet. I don't know if genetics has anything to do with it at all...I developed "breasts etc" early but didn't start a menstrual cycle until very late, I was 13.
I would definitely urge you to talk to your pediatrician. Most likely it is nothing to be alarmed with, but its better to hear that from a Doctor and have it documented as well.
( I have a niece who was shaving her legs by age 5 as well, so part of it just is kids do develope at different rates)
Try and not worry!
Good luck
B.

I actually have a friend who started her period at the age of 9. So, it is possible. Anyway, in my opinion, I would definately talk to your doctor about this. Nothing to really be afraid of. They may want to do some blood work to check out her thyroid? for example and make sure it isn't over active. My friend is now 30+ years old, has two healthy teenage children and all are well. I hope this helps.

Take care and God Bless :)
T. W.

I would say this is a lil early, but I can only go by my own experience (and that of my g/f's at the time). I started my cycle when I was 10, but one of my g/f's started at age 9. However, we didn't start noticing under arm body odor or hair growth until a few years later, into our teens. It does seem, though, that kids these days are "maturing" at a faster rate, for whatever reason. I would suggest talking it over with her dr, just to make sure there isn't anything else going on, though. Good luck!

Call your pediatrician. That is something they should be aware of if she is starting this early. Always feel free to contact your ped. with any concerns you have for your child.

Take care.

Hi V.,

Yes, it's way too early from OUR day (I'm 46) but unfortunately it is becoming more and more common.

I don't want to start a debate on the pros and cons of milk and dairy products, although I have very strong opinions, but I will tell you that one theory for the earlier and earlier age of development is linked to the growth hormones in our food espcially dairy products. I am a registered nurse and a classmate of mine did a research paper on this very subject 20 years ago! And there is a lot more information about it now.

I agree you need to tell her doctor so they can have it documented.

Good Luck,

Lori K

Heck NO!! My oldest was in a beauty pageant (the only one she's been in) and she raised her arms and I thought I was going to pass out. She was 7. Both my daughters are now 10 and 11 and have been wearing deo for several years now. In fact my 11 year old is in the adult deo now instead of the teen. It is not uncommen anymore for girls to start showing signs that early. I was 9 when I started my period as was my mom. Thankfully neither of my girls have started yet. And by the way, we started educating them on menstruation when the hair started showing under the arms. They both know all about it now and are somewhat ready. Good luck and God Bless.

My daughter was doing what your daughter is now and she had her first period when she turned 10. it happens at different rates for different girls but girls are maturing faster now than we did at their age. I have a friend whose little girl 10 now. She wears a b cup bra and has been having a regular cycle for a year now. It does not seem fair, I know, but they do grow up faster.

See your pediatrician. She is probably just an early bloomer, but sometimes there are medical reasons why a child would begin puberty too early, and this really is early. Not for the body odor, but for the hair growth.

Thanks V.! This JUST happened with my 7 year-old daughter this week also!! It was so sad picking out deodorant:(! She loved it though:)! I don't have any advise. But it was great to read all the responses. I know I started at 10 almost 11 (I'm 28 now). My husband also "hit" puberty at a very young age (mustache in the 7th grade hehe:)). So I just wrote it off that she wouldn't have a chance and start early. I'm sure that some of the stuff we put in our bodies now make a difference. And I'll be looking into it. But some girls are going to go through it early no matter what. It just makes me sad. She my little girl!!! Good luck to you and I'll be praying for both our sanity's dealing with this!

I know the onset of puberty is beginning earlier and earlier but I would take her to the doctor. This happened with my neice and my sister took her to the doctor and there was some treatment to delay it. You just hate to think that they have to start all that so early. My daughter is 8 and her best friend on the swim team has begun having b.o. and has started deoderant, so I know it's definitely not unheard of.

Hi V.,

A friend of mines daughter started going through similar issues, and was also very sluggish, not a lot of energy, and started blooming in her chest area too. They discovered that she has Celiac disease, which means she is allergic to gluten which is in ALL Wheat products. They have since taken her off 95% of wheat products (there are splurges every now and then) and she has her energy back, she stopped developing and is doing much better. It is something you could talk to your doctor about, but my understanding is the best way to test for it is just to remove it from the diet, but it takes 45 days for gluten to get completely free from your body.

Either way I would definitely talk to a doctor, it sounds like things aren't quite right.
Good luck!

Girls are developing earlier than usual now, and some studies indicate it is due to the added hormones in most of the food we consume now. However, I wouldn't be alarmed, but I definitely would give her pediatrician a call and just ask her/him for their advice on this issue. Don't just assume, as one writer stated, that all girls get body hair and have their periods when they are between 7-9, that too is very early and not average at all. My friends daughter started getting BO and some hair and she just turned 6. However, she is very developed for her age and looks like she is 9 or 10. Her ped said because she is just way above average in size, she will have these early issues of development.

Yes it is. I just actually saw a show on TLC on this the other day. I would highly recommend that you contact your pediatrician as soon as you can. Basically from what I heard on the show, some children enter puberty really early. Their hormones start earlier than others. This is mainly just kind of hard to deal with it didn't sound like any medical issues really to speak of but socially this can be difficult. Is your child in a christian school or a public school?
L.

Oh, that poor girl, and poor you! I was about your daughter's age when I started getting hair on my legs and under my arms. I was almost 9 when I started having my menstrual cycle, and the other great things that came along with it. Not to scare you too much, but I was also NEEDING a training bra just a few months after the hair growth, just trying to prepare you. But to answer your question, it is a little early, but not too much. The best advice I can give you right now is to HIDE YOUR RAZORS!!! I tried to shave my legs, at age 7, and I still have a very bad scar on my left leg on the shin where I pushed the razor down on the skin to shave. I didn't know that you were supposed to glide the razor over the skin, not try to bury it. I wish you the best of luck and God bless you and your daughter, you are going to need a lot of blessings!

I would just call your pediatrician and have her seen to make sure she is ok I belive it is too early a lil body odor from playing sports outside paly time etc and sweating is fine but to have it and having to use deodorant is a lil early.I was 9 yrs old when my menstrual started and scared me to death I didn't tell my mom and I was slightly heavy and had cramps it was horrible time in my life as I recall.