Retrospective longitudinal analysis of the effects of postnatal weight gain on the timing and tempo of puberty and menarche in a cohort of Italian girls

Vittorio Ferrari,Marta Ferrari,Donatella Matteoni,Antonina Chiccoli,Cecilia Breschi,Angela Maria Pittari,Roberto Pecchioli,Elena Balzer,Rossana Cecchi,Vanda Lelli,Patrizia Beacci,Lara Ascani,Anna De Simone,Antonio Milanesi,Paolo Becherucci,Stefano Stagi,Cristina Fantacci,Rosalba Fiore,Anna Cova,Marzia Guarnieri,Giovanni Scipione Gaetano Citino,Paolo Bagni,Monica Pierattelli,S Stefanucci ,Tiziana Guidotti,Daniele Ciofi,Manuela Gabbrielli

doi:10.1186/s13052-022-01222-9

Vittorio Ferrari, Marta Ferrari + Show 25 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-022-01222-9

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Abstract

Objectiveover the last few decades there has been a progressive decline in the average age of onset of pubertal development stages in both sexes. The increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity seems to play an important role in this phenomenon.Designwe undertook a retrospective, longitudinal evaluation of the average age of thelarche and menarche to evaluate the relationship between BMI and weight change during the first years of life and the timing and tempo of puberty.Methodswe evaluated data for 577 Italian girls born between 1995 and 2003. We collected the main auxological and clinical parameters, including age at B2 and at menarche, BMI SDS at B2 and menarche, gestational age and birth weight and Z-score change from birth weight (BW) to BMI at B2 and menarche.Resultsthe mean age of B2 was 10.06 ± 1.03 years and the mean age of menarche was 12.08 ± 1.02 years. Age at B2 and menarche were inversely correlated with BMI SDS (p < 0.0001). Both age at menarche and at thelarche have an inverse relationship with the Z-score change from birth weight and BMI at menarche and thelarche respectively (p < 0.0001).Conclusionsour data confirm a significant relationship between BMI and age of B2 and menarche. We observed a clear relationship among weight change during the first years of life, age at thelarche and menarche and the duration of puberty, demonstrating the importance of weight and weight gain in determining the timing and tempo of pubertal changes and growth.

Highlights

The average age of pubertal development has decreased all over the world, in females [1]
Ferrari et al Italian Journal of Pediatrics (2022) 48:20 pandemic underlined the importance of environmental factors in the timing and tempo of pubertal development, showing an increase of central precocious and fast puberty (CPP) in girls during and following the first lockdown in Italy from March to May 2020 [3, 4]
Studies indicate that a larger gain in BMI during childhood whether in the first 20 months [8], in the first 5 years [9] or between the ages of two and eight years [10] is related to an earlier onset of puberty

Summary

Introduction

The average age of pubertal development has decreased all over the world, in females [1]. The reasons for this phenomenon include changes in nutritional status, an increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity and increasingly frequent exposure to endocrine-disruptors [1, 2]. Increased adiposity appears to decrease the age of onset and accelerate the progression of puberty. Studies indicate that a larger gain in BMI during childhood whether in the first 20 months [8], in the first 5 years [9] or between the ages of two and eight years [10] is related to an earlier onset of puberty. There appears to be a relationship between age of pubertal onset and weight at birth [9, 11]

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