A recent study has found that boys are reaching puberty two years earlier than previously reported, according to research out of the University of Vermont and published in the American Academy of Pediatrics Journal. On average boys are now starting to show the earliest signs of puberty between 9 and 10 years of age.
This is the first study of this type to suggest boys are maturing younger. Although there is no proven theory as to why this shift has occurred, some theories suggest higher levels of obesity and inactivity, and chemicals in food and water to be the cause of the shift.
Parents concerned about the age at which their son is showing signs of maturing (the earliest signs of puberty in boys are enlarged testes followed by pubic hair growth), should meet with their child’s doctor. Puberty starting in boys before 9 years of age is considered early-onset puberty and could be linked to thyroid abnormalities or brain tumours.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Oct. 20, 2012