Appearance of breasts, pimples, menstruation, hair growth and unpredictable mood swings. They are some of the signs that mark the beginning of puberty in girls, a stage that usually happens between 10 and 11 years.
Now, a study from the University of Aarhus, Denmark, It has revealed that it may appear earlier if the mother took paracetamol in pregnancy.
Researchers at the University of Aarhus have examined for the first time the correlation between the intake of the paracetamol analgesic during pregnancy and the development of puberty in boys and girls. The results have just been published in the international journal American Journal of Epidemiology.
In Babies and more Paracetamol in pregnancy: uses, tips and precautions"We found that for more weeks the mother was taking paracetamol during pregnancy, the sooner puberty came to the girls, but not the boys", explains researcher Andreas Ernst, from the Department of Public Health of the University of Aarhus.
In fact, the study showed that the daughters of women who were medicated with paracetamol for more than twelve weeks, entered puberty between a month and a half and three months earlier.
Avoid the adverse effects of precocious puberty
The authors of the study state that this advance of puberty may seem insignificant, but that it is not for two important reasons:
- It shows that paracetamol choice to combat discomfort during pregnancy It is not so harmless Not sure how you think.
According to Andreas Ernst, the consumption of paracetamol has increased worldwide and studies suggest that more than 50% of women take paracetamol pain relievers at least once during pregnancy.
- "The development of precocious puberty has been linked to an increased risk of frequent and serious diseases in adulthood such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and testicular and breast cancer. Therefore, it is important to identify the possible causes that cause it to prevent it. " This is what Andreas Ernst says.
In Babies and more Precocious freedom: what it is and what are the symptoms in girls and boysA large sample
The study included 100,000 Danish women who provided detailed information on their use of paracetamol, at least three times during pregnancy.
In addition, 15,822 boys (7,697 boys and 8,125 girls) were followed, from eleven years of age and throughout puberty, with questionnaires every six months on several different aspects of their development.
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