As of: February 21, 2024, 1:06 p.m
By: Michelle Brey
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During the pandemic, the number of people experiencing premature puberty rose significantly.
Data suggests this.
But there are initially no answers to some questions.
Bonn – The coronavirus pandemic demanded a lot from society.
These were years in a state of emergency, with constantly changing regulations - and consequences.
Young people were often counted as “the biggest losers in this crisis”.
Lockdowns led to school and daycare closings, and social contacts were restricted.
As can now be seen from several data, the pandemic has also influenced puberty.
Corona as a cause of premature puberty – “20 to 30 percent more cases recorded”
Doctors have been reporting on puberty starting earlier and earlier on average for several decades.
The corona pandemic has significantly increased this effect.
“20 to 30 percent more cases of premature puberty were recorded,” said Bettina Gohlke from the Bonn University Children’s Hospital.
The phenomenon was noticed worldwide.
There is corresponding data from Europe, the USA and China.
Precocious puberty
Precocious puberty (pubertas praecox) is the development of external sexual characteristics before the age of 9 and, in girls, before the age of 8.
Biologically, puberty begins with the increased production of sex hormones, as the Munich endocrinologist Günter Stalla explained.
Corona effect on puberty – excess weight as a possible trigger
It was suspected that the pandemic had an impact on puberty, among other things, due to the development of girls.
Parents were more likely to notice the earlier development because they spent more time with their children due to school closures and home offices.
A connection with higher psychosocial stress is also possible, as the pediatric endocrinologist Gohlke explained.
Previous studies have shown that children in such situations mature physically earlier.
There is also a weight effect under discussion:
Many children ate more or exercised noticeably less during the corona pandemic.
And being overweight is generally considered to be one of the most important factors for early puberty.
“But even when weight was taken out, there was still an increase in cases of prepubertas,” says Gohlke.
The pediatric endocrinologist concludes from this: “It is probably a multifactorial effect.” This means an effect that is not based on a single cause.
It is initially unclear whether the effect will disappear once the corona pandemic subsides.
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Early onset of puberty has been observed for decades - there are several reasons for this
According to data from a research team led by Gohlke, the average age at onset of puberty in girls has fallen by about three months per decade since the 1970s.
The development is similar for boys.
The age at the end of puberty, however, has not changed in the past 50 years.
On average, puberty lasts longer than before.
The average age at the first menstrual period has also hardly changed.
In principle, it is primarily genetically determined when the hormone release and thus the puberty machinery starts, explained Stephan Petersenn, Hamburg endocrinologist and media spokesman for the German Society for Endocrinology.
Factors such as persistent psychological stress and diet also have an influence.
Obesity and hormonal substances as causes - but studies are scarce
Obesity is considered a key factor in premature puberty: the messenger substance leptin, which drives the process in the body, is increasingly produced in fatty tissue, said the expert.
The fatter a child, the earlier it develops into an adult.
The onset of puberty is always related to the standard of living in society, says Petersenn.
It is easy to imagine that there have been significant fluctuations in the starting age in the past.
Many experts believe that, in addition to being overweight, children today are exposed to a cocktail of hormonal substances.
“It is very likely that this will have an influence,” emphasizes Gohlke.
Stalla and Petersenn also see clear signs of this.
“The problem is the lack of studies,” explains Gohlke.
Early puberty – what does it mean for a child?
Children who puberty early grow faster.
However, there is also an opposite process that results in them ultimately remaining smaller on average than those who start puberty later.
The background is sex hormones.
They initially accelerate growth, but also ensure that it ends prematurely by closing the growth plates.
Psychological consequences are also associated with premature puberty.
And not just because children are ashamed of breast growth or hair, for example: with the onset of puberty, the way they think and their emotional world also changes, which can lead to problems among friends, explains Petersenn.
“You mature into adult thinking earlier,” says Petersenn.
Experts are also discussing possible long-term consequences, such as a higher risk of certain diseases.
However, there is still a lack of reliable information on this.
A preprint study was recently published with worrying results.
Many corona patients therefore have brain damage.
(mbr with dpa)