Age at Menarche in Girls Exposed Pre- and Postnatally to a Toxicant

Abstract

Epidemiology| April 01 2001 Age at Menarche in Girls Exposed Pre- and Postnatally to a Toxicant AAP Grand Rounds (2001) 5 (4): 41–42. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.5-4-41-a Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Age at Menarche in Girls Exposed Pre- and Postnatally to a Toxicant. AAP Grand Rounds April 2001; 5 (4): 41–42. https://doi.org/10.1542/gr.5-4-41-a Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All PublicationsAll JournalsAAP Grand RoundsPediatricsHospital PediatricsPediatrics In ReviewNeoReviewsAAP NewsAll AAP Sites Search Advanced Search Topics: menarche, toxicant, polybrominated biphenyls Source: Blanck HM, Marcus M, Tolbert PE, et al. Age at menarche and Tanner stage in girls exposed in utero and postnatally to polybrominated biphenyl. Epidemiology. 2000;11(6):641–647. Twenty-eight years ago a fire retardant containing polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) was accidentally added to livestock feed in Michigan.1 Exposure to PBBs was widespread among people living in Michigan. This study evaluates 327 female offspring of mothers participating in the Michigan PBB registry, established in 1976. The authors hypothesized that exposure to PBBs during gestation and early infancy may disrupt the endocrine feedback loops necessary for normal pubertal development. They found that exposure to PBBs had an effect on the onset of menses and pubic hair development. Specifically, breastfed girls exposed to high levels of PBB in utero (>7 parts per billion) had an earlier age of menarche (mean age=11.6 years) than breastfed girls exposed to lower levels of PBB in utero (mean age=12.2–12.6 years) or girls who were not breastfed (mean age=12.7 years). PBBs are no longer produced in the United States. Like polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), they persist in the environment; unlike PCBs, their use has been relatively limited and extensive worldwide contamination has not occurred. The accident in Michigan provided a unique opportunity to investigate the long-term effects of exposure to PBBs on the next generation. It has long been known that PBBs pass through the placenta and are also excreted in milk.2 This study suggests that the effect of PBBs on menarche depends on whether the infant was breastfed or not. On average, the girls who were breastfed had the onset of menses about 1 year before the girls who were not breastfed (11.6 years vs. 12.7 years). Although it is possible that high concentrations of PBBs may affect pubertal events, other factors were not considered in this analysis. For example, increased weight and adiposity may account for earlier pubertal development. Because these variables were not taken into account, we do not know if they might explain the earlier age at menarche. The Michigan PBB accident serves as a reminder of the importance of meticulous attention to the content of animal feed. An earlier study3 found that female precocious puberty was associated with phthalates, which are used in plastic manufacturing. These studies demonstrate the potential impact of environmental toxins on children and the possibility of multi-generational effects. You do not currently have access to this content.