Our Little Girls Lost – Puberty’s Dramatic Age Drop in 100 Years

Let me share with you what we can do to help ensure our little girls remain little girls until they are truly physically and emotionally ready to deal with the changes that puberty brings.

• Provide healthy role models for our children by maintaining a healthy body weight yourself and making good food choices
• Engage in regular physical activity
• Provide infants and children with natural wooden toys
• Use glass stainless steel water bottles for your children
• Avoid plastic containers, especially those containing BPA
• Never heat food in plastic, as the heat causes toxic compounds to leach out of the plastic and enter your food
• Avoid pesticide and herbicide use around the home
• Avoid or reduce the amount of prepackaged processed food and food packaged in tins
• Avoid sugary drinks and sweets
• Avoid using products that contain fragrance on your children. This includes many natural as well as synthetic scents
• Providing a nurturing emotional environment at home
• Provide support for children who have experienced abuse or a high stress environment
• Ensure appropriate sun exposure to ensure adequate levels of vitamin D
• Talk to your acupuncturist or Chinese Herbal Medicine Doctor about how they can help

Remember – our young girls are a precious gift.

Chinese medicine reminds us that developing and maintaining a balanced qi is important for their healthy transition to womanhood. Girls are uniquely vulnerable to toxic chemicals in the environment, are easily affected by stress, and the rise in childhood obesity is having a significant impact on their health and wellbeing.

Although the exact reason for this rise in precocious puberty is not yet known, it is clear that there are many potential avenues for endocrine disruptors to affect timing of puberty in girls.

We need to use the knowledge and lessons of Chinese Medicine to maintain balance and help keep little girls just that until they are ready to become women.

If you liked this article and would like to know more about the benefits of Chinese Medicine in helping to nurture your children naturally you can access more information at barefootparenting.com.au

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Anthony F.Bogaert
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Journal of Adolescence  Volume 28, Issue 4, August 2005, pages 541-546