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Have you noticed girls are “blooming” earlier and earlier?  According to a new study, almost one in four black girls and one in 10 white girls in the U.S. had developed breasts by the age of seven.  SEVEN.  My daughter will be in first grade when she’s seven.  First graders should not have breasts already!

By age 8, the numbers are worse, almost 1 in 2 black girls and 1 in 5 white girls.   These numbers are getting worse.  In 1997, the proportion of white girls that had developed breasts by age seven was 5% – so in just 13 years, the number has doubled.

Early puberty is linked to early sexual experiences, low self-esteem, higher risk of eating problems,  depression, suicide, and a greater risk of breast cancer.

So what is causing this alarming trend?

There are several possible causes: the environment and childhood obesity.

One of the top environmental concerns are endocrine disruptors – chemicals that act on hormones to change bodily functions.  Bisphenol-A (BPA) sound familiar?  If not, you can read more about this chemical in plastics here, here and here.  If you drink soda – you’re ingesting a little BPA.  If you have old baby bottles (older than 2008 or so) – you’re feeding your child a little BPA.

The other endocrine disruptor commonly found in plastics are phthalates.  Phthalates are everywhere. Personal care products like perfume and nail polish,  vinyl floors, vinyl upholstery, toys, paints, packaging, detergents and even medication.   Just researching this post, I found that the medication I take to control my Crohn’s Disease is covered in a coating containing phthalates and since I’m taking large quantities per day, let’s just say my internal alarms are flying off the hook.

One other interesting finding in the study was that the prevalence of early puberty was different amongst regions.  Girls in San Francisco were found to have a lower rate (11.6%) than girls in New York (15.3%) and girls in Cincinnati (18.9%).  This could be due to San Francisco’s reputation as an area for healthy eating, exercise, low plastics and chemical use.

Let’s keep our little girls, just that. Little girls.  Not concerned about bras, sexual experiences or obsessed with their image.    Free to have tea parties with their friends, ride bikes through the neighborhood and run unabashedly through the sprinkler.

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Will it ever end?  BPA in being found in everything and Science News is now reporting it’s found in receipts, too!  WHA?? 

According to Science News, John C. Warner, of the Warner Babcock Institute for Green Chemistry, learned about the chemistry behind some carbonless copy papers (now used for most credit card receipts) and the thermal imaging papers that are spit out by most modern cash registers. Both relied on bisphenol-A.  Manufacturers would coat a powdery layer of this BPA onto one side of a piece of paper together with an invisible ink and once pressure or heat was applied, you would get color.

Mr. Warner tested receipts from as late as one month ago and continued to find BPA on them. The concern is that while parents have been freaking out about baby bottles leaching BPA – it’s only in nanogram quantities compared to the amount leaching from receipts – 60 to 100 milligrams.  You touch the receipts, you touch your food, you ingest BPA.  Another good reason to wash your hands before eating!

Like other products with BPA, it will probably phase out use over time but until then, just take the easy step of declining receipts when you don’t need them.  Many stores and ATM machines will ask you if you want a receipt now but if they don’t, just tell them not to print one for you.  Do you really need another piece of paper in your purse??

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Weed killer kills human cells. Used in yards, farms and parks throughout the world, Roundup has long been a top-selling weed killer. But now researchers have found that one of Roundup’s inert ingredients can kill human cells, particularly embryonic, placental and umbilical cord cells.

Food packaging leaks BPA, phthalates. At least 50 chemicals capable of interfering with hormones is permitted in packaging in the United States and the European Union, a recent study says.

More preemies born in neighborhoods with heavy pollution from cars, trucks.  Women exposed to air pollution from freeways and congested roads are much more likely to give birth to premature babies and suffer from preeclampsia, according to a study by California scientists published Wednesday. The findings, based on births in the Long Beach/Orange County region, add to the growing evidence that car and truck exhaust can jeopardize the health of babies while they are in the womb.

Rep.Israel bill wants cleanser ingredients listed.  Household cleaners would have to carry labels with a full list of their ingredients – including potentially harmful chemicals like hydrochloric acid – under proposed federal legislation that would revamp what manufacturers must disclose on such everyday products

Lipstick makers urged to remove lead from cosmetics. Your lipstick is shocking red, but does it contain a shockingly unsafe amount of lead? Lead is often present in the pigment of the reddest lipsticks. But there are no FDA standards limiting lead and other toxins in lipstick.

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A new study by Mother Earth News finds that free range eggs contain 3-6x more vitamin D than typical supermarket eggs.  Vitamin D can be absorbed from skin exposure to the sun, but many people don’t go outside enough in the winter and lack sufficient vitamin D. 

Research is finding that low levels of vitamin D may be linked to diabetes, cancer, heart disease and multiple sclerosis.

Compared to factory-farm eggs, free range eggs also contain: 1/3 less cholesterol, 1/4 less saturated fat, 2/3 more vitamin A, 2x more Omega-3 fatty acids, 3x more vitamin E, and 7x more beta carotene.  These little white eggs pack a punch.

Round 1 goes to FREE RANGE EGGS!

P.S.  In my post yesterday, I said that in order to improve indoor air quality, I would open windows in my house for at least 5 minutes every day.  Today was Day 1 and it was delightful!  The smell of fresh air and the sound of birds chirping.  Free therapy.

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