when does early puberty starts
On average, girls start puberty between the ages of 9 and 14. But some will start to develop breasts or pubic hair by age 8, and a small number will start to mature before age 7. The technical term for this is precocious puberty. Girls are five times more likely than boys to develop precocious puberty.
Oct. 20, 2012 -- American boys are starting puberty up to two years earlier than decades ago, new data show. Boys are entering puberty at an average age of 10 among whites and Hispanics, and at an average age of 9 among African-Americans. About a third of boys start to mature sexually up to two years earlier than average. The findings come from a study of 4,131 boys examined at doctors' offices across the U.S. by Marcia Herman-Giddens, DrPH, and colleagues. The same team found a year-earlier shift in first puberty for girls.