To this day, we are still discovering new health effects left by the Corona virus in the human body;
Perhaps the latest is what was reported about the decrease in the age of puberty to the age of 8 in girls, according to a report published by the Turkish newspaper Milliyet, which indicates that the impact of the “Covid 19” pandemic on girls was more devastating than was thought.
In fact, this has become a global phenomenon and not only in Turkey, according to a recent Washington Post report, huge numbers of early puberty cases among girls have been reported during the epidemic.
In this regard;
The Turkish newspaper quoted a gynecologist and obstetrician;
Dr. Özlem Özelmaz warns parents, “Girls from the age of 8 to 9, along with their families, knock on the doors of gynecologists with complaints (early menstruation), and as puberty decreases, the risk of brain tumors, hydrocephalus, neurofibromatosis, and gland diseases increases. adrenal glands, masses in the ovaries, and for this reason, it is very important to take early precautions with regard to early puberty.”
Precocious puberty is uncommon, affecting one in 5,000 to 10,000 girls, and it is about 10 times higher in girls than in boys. In some cases, girls as young as 5 years old begin to form breasts, and some girls start menstruating at the age of 8, according to a recent report by Web MD.
In this context, Dr. Adiaha Spinks Franklin, a pediatrician at Children's Hospital in Texas, told the media, "I have noticed that a number of my young patients have had their period after closing" during the Corona pandemic.
The suffering of a girl reaching the age of 8 or 9 will cause her physical, mental and social trauma (Shutterstock)
More precocious puberty
Also called precocious puberty, this condition is defined as changes associated with puberty earlier than usual or expected, which start around age 8 for girls and age 9 for boys, and can sometimes occur due to genetic syndromes or problems with the nervous system. Central or tumors in the ovary, adrenal glands, pituitary gland, or brain.
And the media reported that pediatricians around the world are reporting more cases of precocious puberty, including in the United States, India, Italy and Turkey.
A recent study found that more than 300 girls were referred to 5 pediatric endocrinology centers in Italy between March and September 2020, compared to 140 referrals during the same period in 2019, according to the previous report.
In another study conducted in Turkey, the pediatric endocrinology clinic reported 58 cases during the first year of the epidemic, compared to 66 total cases during the previous three years.
Returning to the report of the Turkish newspaper "Milliyet", which indicated that the average age of puberty in Turkey is 12 years, while Dr. Ozlem Ozelmaz confirmed the findings of the mentioned studies, "In recent years, the age of puberty has decreased, especially in America and Europe, and in scientific studies conducted in Turkey, it was reported that the cases of initiating breast development at early ages only increased, but during the epidemic period, the cases of “early menstruation” increased significantly, and this topic will be presented in studies to be conducted in the near future.
Physical, mental and social trauma
Dr. Özelmaz continued, "As a result of the increase in cases of puberty and early menstruation, the cases received by gynecologists increased, and the parents submitted various complaints, "Our child suffers from the menstrual cycle"; "She has irregular menstruation"; "She suffers from pain and nausea during the menstrual cycle," From heavy bleeding", "she is pale in color", "she developed anemia".
Just imagine a girl of 8 or 9 years old;
If you suffer from symptoms similar to those described by a 20 or 30-year-old woman, this situation will cause physical, mental and social trauma, which is why families should monitor their children’s development very carefully and communicate with the appropriate authorities in a timely manner.”
Families should monitor the growth of their children very carefully and communicate with the competent authorities in a timely manner (Shutterstock)
Is the epidemic the cause of precocious puberty?
The Turkish newspaper stated that there are many genetic and environmental factors that affect puberty, and in this regard, Dr. Ozelmaz says, "The most important risk factors that led to this dangerous increase in rates of early puberty, especially during the past two decades, are air pollution and harmful chemicals in products. Plastic, especially toys, food and beverage additives, ready-made meals, the increase in obesity, in addition to the addiction to technology and the sedentary life that it brought with it. During the pandemic period, exposure to all these factors increased significantly, and thus the incidence of (early menstruation) increased."
health risks
And medical Ozelmaz adds that "low puberty increases the risks of brain tumors, hydrocephalus, neurofibromatosis, adrenal gland diseases, and ovarian cysts. In addition, after early puberty, rapid growth in height and weight occurs in these girls, and after a short period The growth plates close in the bones, and thus these girls do not reach the height expected of them in genetics.And while they are children, they will suffer from short stature, and they will think that they are physically incompetent, even though they are fully fertile, and these factors will have a devastating effect; mentally and socially. on these girls."
The inactivity brought on by the pandemic has increased consumption of ready-made meals and technology addiction and thus increased incidence of early menstruation (Getty Images)
The cause must be correctly identified
Özelmaz explains the reasons for puberty, saying, "Adulthood is the stage of maturity. In other words, it is a physical and psychological transition period between childhood and maturity. Although this important stage in human life lasts about 4 years, its effects continue to appear until the age of 20 or 21."
"If we want to understand puberty specifically in girls, we can say that it is a period of multifaceted change, involving both physical and mental preparation for fertility. During this period, some areas such as the chest and hips grow and expand, the body begins to take on a female form, and eggs begin to be produced from The ovaries, and consequently, the menstrual cycle begins, and hair growth also occurs in different parts of the body, especially in the pubic and underarm area. If the growth of the breast, armpit and pubic hair begins before the age of eight, and the first menstruation occurs under the age of ten, then this condition is called precocious puberty.
She explained that "depending on the causes of early puberty, it can be classified into two types: "central puberty" when it originates from the brain, i.e. the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, while it is called "peripheral puberty" if it arises from the effect of the adrenal gland on the ovaries, where hormones are produced.
Early puberty is an issue that requires treatment
The doctor points out - as the website reports - that the most annoying thing for parents in these cases is that their children suffer from short stature, and with regard to treatment measures, she says, "During the diagnosis stage, hormone levels are examined, and the age of the bones is determined, and by means of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging; Examination of the ovaries, uterus, adrenal glands and brain, and if the cause of early puberty is brain tumors, hydrocephalus, adrenal gland diseases, or ovarian cysts, then surgical intervention is required, bearing in mind that ovarian masses are usually cystic structures. Simple; in this case, surgery should not be rushed.”
And the doctor continues and says, "If there is a weight problem in girls, it is important to support the diet, exercise, adopt healthy eating, and acquire natural and healthy eating habits away from products that contain harmful chemicals. If it is found that early puberty requires hormonal treatment, an antibiotic is given The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is given with monthly and quarterly injections, while high reproductive hormones are suppressed until the time of natural puberty, so these girls must be kept under observation every 3 months.