Exposure to certain endocrine disruptors, including those present in the fragrance of certain detergents or personal care products, can cause precocious puberty in girls.
- Endocrine disruptors can trigger early puberty in girls.
- Early puberty is linked to higher risks of obesity, diabetes and breast cancer.
- The study points the finger at Musk ambrette, a synthetic musk.
Cases of precocious puberty in girls are increasingly being seen in doctors’ offices. This phenomenon is worrying because the onset of puberty between the ages of 8 and 10 is linked to an increased risk of psychosocial problems, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and breast cancer.
A study appears to have found a culprit: chemicals, specifically endocrine disruptors like Musk ambrette, a synthetic musk used in some detergents, perfumes and personal care products, as well as a group of drugs called cholinergic agonists.
Chemicals boost hormone production in girls
For this study published in the journal Endocrinologythe research team screened more than 10,000 compounds from licensed pharmaceuticals, environmental chemicals and dietary supplements by contacting them with human brain cells that control the reproductive axis.
They also conducted a follow-up analysis using human hypothalamic neurons and zebrafish. These different experiments allowed them to observe that Musk ambrette stimulated the gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptor (GnRHR) and the kisspeptin receptor (KISS1R), both of which are involved in the production of sex hormones and the onset of puberty.
Beware of endocrine disruptors in children
European authorities have already adopted texts to limit the use of Musk ambrette because of its potential toxicity. Nevertheless, scientists are still calling for caution.
“This study suggests that, as a precaution, it is important for parents to use only federally regulated personal care products on their children.”explains study author Dr. Natalie Shaw of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Durham in a press release.
