Uploaded June 2024 | Updated September 2026, 9 hours ago
Dr. Lucky Sekhon, a Double-Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist at RMA of New York went on NBC News Now to discuss the results of a recent study: girls are getting their periods at earlier ages, as time goes on.
We have known that puberty is starting earlier across the board for quite some time. When girls get their first period - it is normal for it to take a year or two to become regular as the pituitary gland’s communication with the ovaries matures. The recent study highlighted in today’s discussion showed that in addition to periods starting earlier, it is now taking longer for periods to become regular. These findings were more pronounced in black, hispanic, asian children vs. non hispanic white children - and in children with low socioeconomic status. Proposed drivers of early menarche (age of first period) are higher BMI (childhood obesity on the rise), environmental factors (endocrine disruptors), dietary patterns (insulin resistance), psychosocial stress.
Early menarche can profoundly impact growth and development. Delayed time to a regular period is associated with infertility (often due to ovulatory disorders), metabolic conditions (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol), and all-cause mortality (from cancers such as breast cancer), and mental health disorders.
Connect with Dr. Sekhon further: rmany.com/our-team/physicians/dr-lucky-sekhon
Dr. Lucky Sekhon, a Double-Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist and Infertility Specialist at RMA of New York went on NBC News Now to discuss the results of a recent study: girls are getting their periods at earlier ages, as time goes on.
We have known that puberty is starting earlier across the board for quite some time. When girls get their first period - it is normal for it to take a year or two to become regular as the pituitary gland’s communication with the ovaries matures. The recent study highlighted in today’s discussion showed that in addition to periods starting earlier, it is now taking longer for periods to become regular. These findings were more pronounced in black, hispanic, asian children vs. non hispanic white children - and in children with low socioeconomic status. Proposed drivers of early menarche (age of first period) are higher BMI (childhood obesity on the rise), environmental factors (endocrine disruptors), dietary patterns (insulin resistance), psychosocial stress.
Early menarche can profoundly impact growth and development. Delayed time to a regular period is associated with infertility (often due to ovulatory disorders), metabolic conditions (type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol), and all-cause mortality (from cancers such as breast cancer), and mental health disorders.
Connect with Dr. Sekhon further: rmany.com/our-team/physicians/dr-lucky-sekhon
