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Study finds girls without a dad at home may reach puberty earlier

October 13, 2010 by John Thompson Leave a Comment

New research gives another reason why it's important for fathers to be present in the everyday lives of their daughters.

Researchers from the University of California have found that girls who live in homes without a biological father are more likely to hit puberty at an earlier age, putting them at a higher risk for chronic illnesses, including breast and reproductive cancers.

Previous studies have confirmed that girls are maturing earlier in recent decades, but up until now have explained the change as a result of increased body weight.

"While overweight and obesity alter the timing of girls' puberty, those factors don't explain all of the variance in pubertal timing," said the study's lead author Julianna Deardorff. "The results from our study suggest that familial and contextual factors – independent of body mass index – have an important effect on girls' pubertal timing."

Scientists found that the absence of a biologically-related father was linked to earlier breast development for girls in higher income families.

While the reasons behind the findings aren't clear, evolutionary biologists theorize that the absence of a biological father may signal an unstable family environment, leading girls to enter puberty earlier.

In addition to an increased risk of certain cancers, healthcare experts say early puberty can make girls more likely to develop asthma and engage in higher risk sexual behaviors and substance abuse.
 

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Great Dad Talks is a series of conversations with experts on all aspects of the family adventure. With the perspective that “dads don’t always think like moms,” our mission is to support dad voices and our slightly different approaches to parenting. We’ll try to find solutions to every day challenges like getting kids off the couch and making STEM classes available for both boys and girls. But we’ll also tackle bigger issues when they come. The one main theme will be to support dads in the most important role of their lives that of being a great dad. Connect with us at greatdad.com and watch the video version of these podcasts at YouTube.com/greatdadnews

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