The patient presented with underarm hair, breast development and rapid growth — nothing out of the ordinary for a young adolescent going through puberty. The only thing is, she was just six years old.
New research published Thursday in the Journal of the Endocrine Society indicates cases like these, officially called early or precocious puberty, have been far more common among girls in the pandemic than in years prior. Between March 2020 and June 2021 — when Italy closed schools, parks, and gyms in response to the virus — the number of girls presenting to one Italian center with early puberty nearly doubled compared to years prior.
