When will my daughter enter puberty?

Interestingly, there are a number of factors that can influence when a girl enters puberty. Of course, as we’ve seen, genetics plays a very important role. However, there are other variables as well, some of which are rather surprising. For instance, not only does nutrition have an impact on when a girl first begins menstruating, but so too does the altitude at which the girl lives, how close she lives to the equator, and how heavy she is; some researchers even claim it can be affected by whether there is a father-figure in the household.

In general, during the past few decades there has been a noticeable decrease in the age at which girls in the United States enter puberty. Some people believe that this is a direct result of the hormones that are administered to cows. Their concern is that these hormones eventually end up in the cows’ milk, and then, in turn, they end up in our daughters’ bodies when they drink this milk. This hypothesis has been hotly debated over the years, but as of now, it is not generally accepted by the medical community. The more accepted theory regarding the declining age for the onset of periods relates to the increased prevalence of childhood obesity. Simply stated, the heavier the adolescent girl, the earlier she will menstruate.