Retrospective longitudinal analysis of the effects of postnatal weight gain on the timing and tempo of puberty and menarche in a cohort of Italian girls.

Objective: over the last few decades there has been a progressive decline in the average age of onset of pubertal development stages in both sexes. The increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity seems to play an important role in this phenomenon.

Design: we undertook a retrospective, longitudinal evaluation of the average age of thelarche and menarche to evaluate the relationship between BMI and weight change during the first years of life and the timing and tempo of puberty.

Analysis of the Timing of Puberty in a Recent Cohort of Italian Girls: Evidence for Earlier Onset Compared to Previous Studies.

Background: Throughout the 20 century, in developed countries there has been a secular trend toward earlier menarche. Over the past 2 decades, however, there has been an apparent stabilization in the average age of menarche age in most Western countries.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to analyze the mean age of menarche in a cohort of Italian girls, to analyze the mean age of breast button appearance (B2), and to correlate the B2 developmental stage and age at menarche with the most important clinical and auxological parameters.