Abstrak

Kembali

Recent studies indicate that the onset of puberty is occurring at increasingly younger ages. Many etiologieshave been hypothesized to be involved, but environmental exposures are among the most worrisome.Multiple organizations have endorsed the need to study and provide clinical awareness regarding theeffect of a child’s environment on pubertal timing. This review article summarizes the current under-standing of the major environmental influences on pubertal timing, focusing on factors for which themost scientific evidence exists. The research reviewed addresses intrinsic factors unique to each individ-ual, naturally occurring endocrine disruptors and chemical endocrine disruptors. In each category, evidencewas found for and against the involvement of specific environmental factors on pubertal timing. Ulti-mately, an individual’s environment is likely comprised of many aspects that collectively contribute tothe timing of puberty. The need for research aimed at elucidating the effects of numerous specific yetdisparate forms of exposures is emphasized