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Parental pubertal timing influences pubertal onset in girls, boys
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Pubertal onset in girls and boys tends to begin earlier if either parent also experienced early puberty, recent study findings show.
“Pubertal timing is known to be highly dependent on genetics, but the impact of both parents’ pubertal timing on onset of pubertal milestones in their daughters and sons has not previously been reported,” Christine Wohlfahrt-Veje, MD, PhD, of the department of growth and reproduction, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, told Endocrine Today. “The study shows that both maternal and paternal pubertal timing are strong determinants of age at pubertal onset in girls and boys.”
Christine Wohlfahrt-Veje
Wohlfahrt-Veje and colleagues analyzed data from a prospective mother–child cohort in Denmark; mothers were recruited in early pregnancy between 1997 and 2003. From 2006 to 2013, 672 girls and 846 boys attended between one and five annual clinical examinations; participants also completed questionnaires regarding parental timing of puberty (earlier, comparable to or later than peers) and age of menarche.
Researchers measured age at onset of pubic hair, breasts and menarche in girls and genital stage and gonadarche in boys.
Researchers found that pubertal onset in fathers and mothers was associated with pubertal timing in sons. Pubarche began earlier for boys if either the father (mean estimated difference, –11.8 months; 95% CI, –16.8 to –6.8) or mother (–8.9 months; 95% CI, –12.8 to –4.9) reported early vs. late development, as did gonadarche (–9.5 months; 95% CI, –13.9 to –5.1; –7.1 months; 95% CI, –10.4 to –3.7, respectively).
Girls with an early maturing father were more likely to experience menarche at an earlier age (–10.5 months; 95% CI, –15.9 to –5.1), as were girls with an early maturing mother (–10.1 months; 95% CI, –14.3 to –6).
Researchers noted that the maternal timing of puberty was associated with all milestones in both boys and girls; however, a combined maternal and paternal pubertal history resulted in an additive effect for all pubertal milestones in boys, but only for menarche in girls.
“Age at onset of breast and pubic hair development in girls (that has declined most during recent years) appears to be less dependent on heritability,” Wohlfahrt-Veje said. “Epidemiological studies on the impact of environmental factors seem relevant to gain a better understanding of recent trends in the timing of puberty.”
Researchers also found that “more often than expected due to chance,” late maturing fathers matched with late maturing mothers. Researchers adjusted for the other parent by including both in the model, but it did not substantially change results. – by Regina Schaffer
For more information:
Christine Wohlfahrt-Veje, MD, PhD, can be reached at the University of Copenhagen, Nørregade 10, 1165 København, Denmark; email: christine.veje@regionh.dk.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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