A study conducted by the University of Milan, supported by Cefic-LRI, has investigated the factors influencing breast development.
According to their findings, mothers who have a high weight, give birth for the first time, or gain weight early in pregnancy are more likely to have daughters who start developing breasts at an early age. On the other hand, girls who were born prematurely tend to start developing breasts later.
Breast development marks the beginning of puberty, and early puberty onset can have long-lasting effects on an individual’s life.
Understanding the connections between exposure to environmental factors before and after birth and their impact on puberty is an important area of research that involves multiple disciplines.
This study contributes to a broader LRI research project titled “Incidence trends of selected endocrine-related diseases and conditions in Europe and North America, and the contribution of changes in human reproduction.”
The study is available here.
