Navigation Links
Father absence linked to earlier puberty among certain girls
Date:9/16/2010

gs demonstrate that such factors may play important roles in the onset of puberty in girls."

The link between father absence and earlier puberty in girls has been found in previous research, but most of those studies relied upon recall of the girls' first periods, and few examined the contributions of body mass index, ethnicity and income.

In this new study, researchers recruited 444 girls ages 6-8 through Kaiser Permanente Northern California, and have been following them annually. Their analysis was based on the first two years of follow-up. They considered signs of puberty that occur before the start of menarche. In interviews with the girls' caregivers, the researchers asked about the residents in the girls' homes and their relationships to the children.

Among the girls studied, 80 reported biological father absence at the time of recruitment. Contrary to what the researchers expected, the absence of a biologically related father was linked to earlier breast development for girls in higher income families those having annual household incomes of $50,000 or more. Father absence predicted earlier onset of pubic hair development only in higher income African Americans families.

The mechanisms behind these findings are not entirely clear, the study authors said. Evolutionary biologists have theorized that the absence of a biological father may signal an unstable family environment, leading girls to enter puberty earlier.

Another theory that has been posited is that girls without a biological father in the home are exposed more to unrelated adult males specifically, the pheromones of these males that lead to earlier onset of puberty. However, in this study, the presence of other adult males, including stepfathers, in the home did not alter the findings.

It is also unclear why father absence predicted early puberty only in higher income families, particularly for African American girls.

"It's pos
'/>"/>

Contact: Sarah Yang
scyang@berkeley.edu
510-643-7741
University of California -- Berkeley
Source:Eurekalert

0

GOOD

Page: 1 2 3 4

Related biology news :

1. Father involvement in pregnancy could reduce infant mortality
2. Testicular tumors may explain why some diseases are more common in children of older fathers
3. Father of green chemistry Paul Anastas to head EPA research
4. Developer of advanced computing memory, father of biochemical engineering, and innovative engineering educators win highest engineering honors of 2009
5. Boy or girl? Its in the fathers genes
6. The dark chocolate version of Father Christmas is most filling
7. New model is proposed to explain absence of organic compounds on surface of Mars
8. High testosterone levels linked to self-destructive CEO behavior, says Management Science
9. Low grades in adolescence linked to dopamine genes
10. High-fat diet during puberty linked to breast cancer risk later in life
11. Girls early puberty linked to unstable environment via insecure attachment in infancy
Post Your Comments:
*Name:
*Comment:
*Email:
(Date:5/22/2013)... 22, 2013. Plastic additives known as phthalates (pronounced ... They turn up in flooring, plastic cups, beach ... Centers for Disease Control and Preventionthe bodies of ... come under increasing scrutiny. A growing collection of ... leech from packaging and mix with food) may ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... the nation,s land and water resources could likely support ... 25 billion gallons of algae-based fuel a year in ... , The findings come from an in-depth look at ... significant amounts of algae in large, specially built shallow ... issue of Environmental Science and Technology , published ...
(Date:5/21/2013)... Cancers of all types become most deadly when they ... has reached this stage, it becomes very difficult for ... can develop. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri ... target lymphoma tumor cells wherever they may be in ... in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine, says being ...
Breaking Biology News(10 mins):Study links chemicals widely found in plastics and processed food to elevated blood pressure in children and teens 2Going green: Nation equipped to grow serious amounts of pond scum for fuel 2Going green: Nation equipped to grow serious amounts of pond scum for fuel 3Going green: Nation equipped to grow serious amounts of pond scum for fuel 4MU researchers develop radioactive nanoparticles that target cancer cells 2
... of radiation based on verified scientific facts will be available ... The official kick-off meeting of the Community project ULICE ... Union is supporting with nearly 10 million euros, was held ... Therapy of the Heidelberg University Hospital. This consortium consists of ...
... the U.S. population is afflicted with an autoimmune ... chronic and require life-long care. Moreover, different autoimmune ... are caused by disruptions in common biological pathways. ... pathways, The Jackson Laboratory has published "Pathways to ...
... at UT Southwestern Medical Center have eliminated non-small cell ... drug called BEZ235 in combination with low-dose radiation. ... Cancer Research , UT Southwestern researchers found that ... of tumor cells with otherwise nontoxic radiation, the drug ...
Cached Biology News:Patients in Europe benefit from new radiation therapy 2Patients in Europe benefit from new radiation therapy 3UT Southwestern researchers use drug-radiation combo to eradicate lung cancer 2
(Date:5/23/2013)... Toronto, Canada (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 ... subjects, it is critical to adhere to principles ... protection (HSP). , Esteemed speaker Dr. Jeremy Lim, ... the audience: , ,     Understand the ... Clinical Practice (GCP) and additional regulations for the ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 ... ancestry tracing for people of African descent, today ... product offering. For people of all races, myDNAmix ... from five distinct populations: Indigenous Americas (Native American), ... India Subcontinent. , Originally launched in ...
(Date:5/23/2013)... (PRWEB) May 23, 2013 Watlow®, ... of complete thermal systems, recently introduced its new ... years of experience in designing and manufacturing industrial ... of products to serve diverse customer needs. , ... featured at the beginning of the book. These ...
(Date:5/22/2013)... Oven Industries announces the new 5R1-1400 ... via a PC through the TTL level UART Communication ... inches square can deliver up to 15 AMPS of ... solid state relay. Operator safety is achieved with 1KV ... and sensor input. Specifications: Input Voltage 85 to ...
Breaking Biology Technology:Adhering to Good Clinical Practice, New Webinar Hosted by Xtalks 2AfricanAncestry.com Rolls Out Improved MyDNAMix Admixture Test for People of all Races; Enhancements Increase Accuracy in Estimation of Ancestral Makeup 2AfricanAncestry.com Rolls Out Improved MyDNAMix Admixture Test for People of all Races; Enhancements Increase Accuracy in Estimation of Ancestral Makeup 3Watlow Introduces Its New Industrial Heater Catalog 2New AC Temperature Controller Announced by Oven Industries 2
... 3 Albert Liou, Corporate Vice,President and General ... PRXL ), a leading global,biopharmaceutical services provider, will ... Cost and Efficiency Savings in Running Clinical,Trials?" at ... and,Exhibition, to be held November 4 - 7, ...
... Altogen Biosystems (http://www.altogen.com ),announced launch of novel ... facilities for animal testing. Transfection is,one of the ... RNA molecules,into cells and tissues. This technique makes ... a gene or a small interfering RNA (siRNA),into ...
... N.J., Nov. 3 Arno Therapeutics,Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: ... announced that Dr. Roger G. Berlin,Chief Executive Officer of ... Healthcare Conference on Monday, November 10, 2008 at 2:00 ... York Palace Hotel in New York City. Dr.,Berlin will ...
Cached Biology Technology:PAREXEL Expert to Address Key Aspects of Conducting Clinical Trials in China at 7th Annual Partnerships in Clinical Trials Congress 2PAREXEL Expert to Address Key Aspects of Conducting Clinical Trials in China at 7th Annual Partnerships in Clinical Trials Congress 3PAREXEL Expert to Address Key Aspects of Conducting Clinical Trials in China at 7th Annual Partnerships in Clinical Trials Congress 4Altogen Biosystems Launches New Nanoparticle-based In Vivo Transfection Reagent 2Arno Therapeutics to Present at the Rodman & Renshaw 10th Annual Healthcare Conference 2
Request Info...
RABBIT ANTI PORCINE CARBOXYPEPTIDASE B...
... Maker, 1. Modular system for large ... up to six lab-cast or precast ... with 18- or 24-cm Immobiline DryStrip ... gel cassettes.Innovative design simplifies loading and ...
albumin from bovine serum (BSA), 2,4-dinitrophenylated (DNP-BSA)...
Biology Products: