Help my child is growing up too fast! Is this early puberty?

Does it feel like your little one is growing up far too quickly and showing changes in their body or behaviour that you didn’t expect for another few years? You are not alone, and in fact, more and more parents are noticing signs of puberty in their kids earlier than expected.

Experiencing early puberty can be a roller coaster ride for the whole family and adopting certain habits and diet changes can make everything so much easier.

Early puberty, known as precocious puberty is on the rise, and children as young as 4 or 5 are now developing body odour, skin pimples and even pubic hair. Often, these kids are very tall and mature for their age, and, it can be confusing for them as it is scary to grow up faster than their friends.

Early puberty needs to be taken seriously, as it can have implications for their long-term height projections, and they have a greater chance of developing hormonal health problems later on in life. While this can of course, feel worrying, the good news is that there are practical steps that you can take to support your child’s development.

This week’s blog aims to equip you with healthy habits to adopt and the nutrition knowledge to help you and your child feel confident, supported and ready to navigate early onset puberty.In my clinic I often see early maturity being a pre-cursor to other hormonal issues later in life such as endometriosis, fibroids and polycystic ovaries or just plain awful periods. Fertility may also be a challenge, especially if trying for a baby later on in life.

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What is precocious puberty and why does it matter?

The physical signs of puberty changes start when the brain triggers the production of sex hormones, and this usually starts at around 11 years old for girls and usually around 12 for boys. They might need to start using deodorant; you might see little black heads or pimples on their forehead, chin and around their nose; and you might spot the beginnings of pubic hair. Breast bud growth is also a sign of puberty for girls, and for boys it is an increase in the size of testicles.

If these changes start happening for your child years earlier than aged 8 in girls or 9 in boys then it may indicate your child is experiencing precocious puberty and this should be evaluated by a medical professional.

Early puberty matters because it can affect a child’s physical, emotional and social development in ways that may have long-term consequences.

While children may appear tall and mature for their age, early hormonal changes can lead to shorter adult height due to premature closing of their growth plates. This is because when puberty stops, growth usually slows up too, and if puberty is too early then growth ceases earlier too. They can then end up being one of the shorter kids in the class!

Emotionally, kids who go through early puberty may struggle with ‘teenage’ mood swings, body image issues and feeling out of sync with their peers, which can affect their self-esteem and social relationships. They may get embarrassed in the school changing rooms if their body starts to look different to their friends.

Early puberty has also been linked to increased risks of hormonal conditions later in life, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or fertility challenges. If they develop PCOS then they also have an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in later life. Understanding and addressing the causes of early puberty can help support healthier hormone development and reduce their future health risks.

There are many theories on why kids are maturing faster these days. Several people and good quality scientific research put this down to increased stress levels, the change in our environment, our diet and even a disrupted gut microbiome. Now I will explore these aspects of hormonal health in more detail.

Non-stop stress

Early puberty brings on many changes in a child’s response to stress. Beginning with adrenarche, which can happen at ages 6–8 years, the adrenal glands increase their production of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). This hormone, naturally produced by the adrenal gland, helps make other hormones, including testosterone and oestrogen. This begins to shift the ratio of DHEA to cortisol.

The adrenal gland also produces hormones, including androgens (such as testosterone), which bring on various changes such as the growth of pubic hair, increased oiliness of the skin and hair and the onset of body odour.

Early puberty due to adrenarche is thought to be partly due to a child being in a continuous high fight or flight high adrenaline state. Stress and anxiety are affecting kids earlier in life these days. Expectations for little people are increasing nowadays, as well as pressures from school, full-on social lives and multiple after-school activities. Even if they do not show classic stress signs of crying or withdrawing, they may show more subtle signs like being unable to get to sleep or just being plain grumpy and difficult.

Magnesium-rich foods such as green veg, nuts, seeds and dark chocolate, as well as Epsom salt baths, magnesium lotions and oral supplements can help to mute the ongoing stress response that so many children experience.

Also teach your child about deep breathing, mediation and mindfulness to help keep the heightened fight or flight response at bay.

The role of hormone disrupting chemicals

We are exposed to forever chemicals daily which have the potential to disturb a child’s hormonal health. A one-off exposure is probably not going to upset your child’s system significantly, but daily habits involving products containing these toxins can build up in their system. These chemicals can then influence how their body functions, particularly the endocrine system which controls their hormones.

BPA plastics

Synthetic chemicals, known as xenoestrogens in products like drinking water, plastics and perfumes can mimic hormones and disrupt the delicate endocrine balance. We are especially vulnerable to the effects of these during phases of accelerated development such as whilst in the womb, as a baby and throughout childhood.

We are surrounded by plastic, especially microplastics! Most food these days is wrapped in plastic, beauty products live in plastic containers, and we tend to drink water out of plastic bottles. Even shop till receipts can have a plastic coating. The main plastics to avoid are those linked to bisphenol-A (known as BPA) which is known to disrupt hormones.

These days, most food containers are BPA-free, but to reduce your child’s exposure to BPA, make sure to check.

Household products

Hormone disrupting phthalates are also found in the fragranced beauty products, shampoo and household cleaning products. They are added to plastics to increase flexibility, transparency and durability and to make fragrances last for longer.

Choosing glass can help. Also find fragrance-free creams, cleaning products and laundry detergents to cut down on exposure to phthalates. If you like your products to smell lovely, then choose ones which use essential oils such as lavender, orange or lemon oil.

Flame retardants

Even though they’re linked to hormone disruption, flame retardants (polybrominated diphenyl ethers or PBDEs) are still sprayed on many household items. By law, new sofas, armchairs, mattresses and carpets need to be treated with flame retardants, so try and air/off-gas any new furniture for several days/weeks first in a separate room from where your children sleep or play.

Clothes, especially nightwear are also often laced with fire retardants, and you should wash any new clothes several times before your child wears them.

These chemicals do not stay in the furniture forever, so these chemicals are probably living in your household dust as well; research shows that tiny particles can escape from electronics, sofas and mattresses. This is why it is extra important to vacuum and dust regularly where children are playing and sleeping.

Which foods help to clear these chemicals?

As well as avoiding these household and environmental chemicals where possible, I suggest encouraging your child to consume lots of foods which help their liver to escort these toxins out of the body efficiently.

These foods include cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, watercress, kale and rocket. Even if these are not your child’s favourite foods, try to find ways to get them eating these regularly. If they are super fussy with eating green veg, then hide these in smoothies, soups and sauces or even brownies!

Flax seeds (also known as linseeds) contain xenoestrogen-busting properties and should be a regular part of their diet. Some parents find it easy to sprinkle ground flaxseed on cereals, or yoghurt or add them into smoothies. Others might include flax seed oil in salad dressings. Always store flaxseeds in the fridge to retain their delicate omega oils and to keep the taste fresh.

Adopting a blood sugar balancing diet

Overall, our Western diet has changed significantly over the past 50 years or so. Despite healthy eating messages from the media, kids are eating more refined sugar, white flour products and ultra-processed foods than ever before.

Children with precocious puberty are not only taller, but they also tend to be heavier and have higher fasting insulin levels than their peers. Research suggests that their metabolic health is struggling with a high intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates/starches, and they benefit from cutting back on eating the sweet stuff.

Girls who mature early and go through precocious puberty often go on to develop polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) which usually goes hand in hand with difficulty regulating blood glucose levels. One sign your child is not tolerating white carbs well is a more rounded belly, and another is if they are hungry and seeking out snacks within two hours of eating a carbohydrate-rich meal. If they get hangry when snack time or a meal is running late, then they might be more sensitive to refined sugar and starches than other kids.

Instead prioritise a diet rich in protein, healthy fats and fibrous foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and pulses.

The gut-hormone link

Your child’s gut flora plays an important role in keeping oestrogen levels in check. This is because their gut microbiome has two-way communication between the gut microbiome, gut hormones and the brain, playing a key role in regulating appetite, metabolism, inflammation, mood and overall hormonal health. This is called the gut-hormone axis.

After being broken down by the liver, oestrogen naturally leaves the body through the stool. However, when the microbiome is out of sync and unwanted bacteria dominate, an enzyme called beta glucuronidase is produced which interrupts this process and reactivates the oestrogen, so it is reabsorbed by the bowel. If the gut flora is out of sync for a long time (this happens if a child is on frequent antibiotics for instance) this can contribute to oestrogen dominance. When that happens, it may push girls to precocious puberty and mood changes, and in boys this can lead to delayed puberty, lower muscle mass and Gynaecomastia, which is the development of breast tissue.

Again, dark green salad leaves, green cruciferous vegetables and encouraging regular bowel movements can help to stop the oestrogen from recirculating.

If you suspect an imbalanced gut, then it is good idea to supplement with live bacteria to help rebalance and reduce any excess oestrogen build up. Adding in fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, miso, apple cider vinegar, water kefir and kimchi can also make a big difference to the gut microbiome and in turn hormonal health.

Ten positive changes for healthy hormones

Changing your child’s daily eating and lifestyle habits can make a measurable difference to how they handle puberty and their long-term hormonal health. It is also wise to look at all the cleaning products you use to clean your house and their bodies and choose more natural options which are less likely to disrupt their hormones.

But what can you do if your child is showing signs of puberty already? Here are ten mantras to follow if you want them to have healthier hormones:

Watch their stress levels and support their adrenal function through Epsom salt and lavender oil baths and lots of quiet family downtime.
Feed your children meat and dairy that is free from growth hormones. Opt for organic options if you can, or source them from your local farmer or farm shop.
Feed them cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, rocket) and find clever ways to help them learn to love them.
Include ground flaxseeds and flax seed oil daily in their diet.
Avoid buying and preparing foods containing refined sugar, modified starches and white flour.
Cut back on ultra-processed foods, which not only tend to use refined carbohydrates but also more microplastics may slip in through the packaging.
Filter your family drinking water with a filter jug, filter tap or whole house system and invest in a BPA-free drinking water bottle for everyone.
Choose organic, natural and paraben-free household cleaning products where possible.
Seek out natural skincare, bath products and deodorant for your child to avoid the hormone disrupting chemicals.
Give your children live bacteria supplements and feed them fermented foods such as yoghurt and kefir.

Round up

Precocious puberty can be a bit of an emotional roller coaster for children and adults alike. However, if you have the know-how to navigate the hormone chaos through dietary changes and lifestyle habits, then this will help your child to sail through those pubertal years with confidence and ease.

If you would like to explore your child’s gut health and understand better their gut-hormone axis and beta glucuronidase levels, or you need 1 to 1 nutrition support for your child’s hormonal health then get in touch with our NatureDoc hormonal specialists to reassure you that you are doing everything to help them through these pubertal shifts.

NB. This is an update of a blog originally published in May 2016.