[MedNews] Puberty at 8?

September's edition of Pediatrics features an interesting article on the increasing early onset puberty in young American girls factoring in the incidence of childhood obesity and chemical intervention, based on the research of Dr Frank Biro,

Director of the Division of Adolescent Medicine,

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

From MedlinePlus Health Day:

In the study, more than 1,200 girls ages 6 to 8 from Cincinnati, East Harlem, N.Y. and San Francisco were examined on two occasions between 2004 and 2006 by two different female pediatricians or nurse practitioners who felt for the presence of breast tissue.

The study found that

Among 7-year-olds, about 10.4 percent of white girls, 23.4 percent of black girls and almost 15 percent of Hispanic girls had started developing breasts, the team report in the September issue of Pediatrics. Among 8-year-olds, 18.3 percent of white girls, about 43 percent of black girls and just under 31 percent of Hispanic girls showed evidence of breast development.