Health hubs / Children's health: education
Puberty timing
Puberty is starting earlier in girls worldwide. Your pediatrician tracks timing.
Talk to your pediatrician. This section is education only and does not replace your child's medical care. Doses for children are only quoted from official guidance (AAP, NIH ODS, WHO).
The trend
A meta-analysis of studies from 1977 to 2013 found the average age of breast development onset in girls fell by about 0.24 years per decade [1]. Puberty that seems early or late is a question for your pediatrician, who may refer to a pediatric endocrinologist.
Sources
- Eckert-Lind et al. 2020, JAMA Pediatr. doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.5881
DOIs verified against Crossref and official pages checked on 2026-10-15.