Puberty is a physical and emotional gauntlet for anyone, but it’s even harder for a 7-year-old child. Rates of so-called precocious puberty, defined as the appearance of secondary sex characteristics like breasts and pubic hair in girls 8 or younger and boys 9 or younger, spiked sharply worldwide during the pandemic, and doctors aren’t entirely sure why.

The possibilities come down to the two main suspected causes of precocious puberty, both of which are associated with the lifestyle changes forced by COVID-19 lockdowns. 

• Obesity: Precocious puberty rates gained attention in the 1990s, and seemed to track closely with the uptick in childhood obesity. Hormonal cascades caused by excess weight are likely a key driver of early development.
• Stress: Stress can be a powerful propellor of psychological changes, and the stresses kids were under during the pandemic are almost too many to count. But many of the lifestyle changes associated with stress in lockdown—like poor sleep, unhealthy diet and lack of exercise—can also be play a role in obesity, making them difficult to untangle.

How these two work in tandem, however, has long been a mystery—and the new wave could bring clearer answers.

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