According to a report from ABC News , experts are trying to determine what's causing the trend. Health experts had thought the norm for the onset of puberty was closer to about 11 years old, until a study of 17,000 girls in 1997.
Some experts say increased obesity boosts the chances of early puberty.
Others cite low birth weights. Still others say absent fathers cause stress in households and that can trigger early puberty. Some suggest the sexualization of children by the media is a contributor as well. Regardless of the cause, experts say the findings show that girls need to be educated about the changes in their body at an earlier age, as early as third or fourth grade. Otherwise, the children could become victims of sexual predators who will see them as vulnerable, the article says.