logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2022
8m 53s

Are girls starting puberty earlier?

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

In the 1980s, Dr Marcia Herman-Giddens was one of the first people to notice that girls were starting puberty earlier than expected. We talk to Dr Marcia Herman-Giddens and Dr Louise Greenspan about what we know now about whether the age of girls’ puberty is falling.

(Mother and daughter in the supermarket choosing sanitary items. Getty Images)

Up next
Today
Why Manchester United can afford to play badly
Manchester United are terrible, even according to their own manager. Last season saw their worst ever performance in Premier League history.But at the same time, according to Forbes magazine, they’re still the second most valuable football club in the world. How is that possible? ... Show More
8m 58s
Jul 5
The economics of war: Vikings, Conquistadors and Vietnam
How does economics help us understand conflicts through history? That’s the question that economist and journalist Duncan Weldon tries to answer in his new book, Blood and Treasure. Tim talks to Duncan about the economic perspective on Viking raiders, Spanish conquest and the Vie ... Show More
8m 58s
Jul 2
Is the UK seeing a Christian revival?
Tim Harford looks at some of the numbers in the news and in life. This week:Is church-going making a comeback in the UK?Is it true that every day, 1000 people begin claiming personal independence payments, or PIP?When the government talks about how it “returns” illegal immigrants ... Show More
28m 17s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
How puberty changes your brain | Shannon Odell
While we often talk about puberty's effect on the body, what gets overlooked are the fascinating changes that happen in the brain. Puberty, in fact, begins in the brain, and lasts as long as five years. And during this extended process, the brain undergoes its own transformation, ... Show More
6 m
Aug 2023
Is Puberty Happening EVEN Earlier? with Dr. Louise Greenspan
Pediatric endocrinologist (and our personal hero) Dr. Louise Greenspan has lots to say about the latest research on early puberty. This episode covers emerging data from one specific study run during the Covid pandemic. Are the trends found recently blips? Or the beginning of a n ... Show More
52m 44s
May 2021
Ep 137: A Different Way to Talk About Puberty
Michelle Mitchell, author of A Girl’s Guide to Puberty and A Guy’s Guide to Puberty, shares her top tips preparing young people for puberty. Rather than cringing at the awkwardness, Michelle suggests we can embrace body changes as the beautiful part of life they are!Full show not ... Show More
28m 19s
Jun 2022
Boobs
All about breast development: when they grow, why they can be painful or lumpy (or both), and how to manage this shifting landscape. Shownotes:  The Puberty Podcast Episode with Dr. Louise Greenspan on Earlier Puberty Visit OOMLA to shop thoughtfully designed (OOM)Bras!  Produced ... Show More
38m 37s
May 2023
Do animals go through puberty?
Puberty is a time of big changes for humans. Our bodies change, our voices change, even our moods change! But do animals go through puberty, too? We asked veterinarian Lena Provost to help us find the answer. Got a question you think is too hairy to answer? Send it to us at Brain ... Show More
4m 44s
Sep 2020
EP 198 - Tomboy, Feminism And Gender Identity
We know that the Super Woman audience is a lot of moms and parents, who are all navigating raising children of all genders.We know that the Super Woman audience is a lot of moms and parents, who are all navigating raising children of all genders.In her latest book TOMBOY, Lisa Se ... Show More
27m 59s
Oct 2020
Delayed Puberty
This episode covers delayed puberty. Written notes can be found at https://zerotofinals.com/paediatrics/development/delayedpuberty/ or in the development section in the Zero to Finals paediatrics book.The audio in the episode was expertly edited by Harry Watchman. 
8m 32s
Jan 2023
Tommy Dorfman
Like "the twink of the moment." This is how Tommy felt just before her gender transition. This week we discuss navigating gender identity, her decision to transition, and the complications that surround transitioning as a public persona. We also cover her struggles with drug addi ... Show More
35m 36s
Dec 2023
Boy Man
Could puberty get any more awkward? Turns out, yes. Writer Patrick Burleigh started going through puberty as a toddler. He had pubic hair before he was two years old and a mustache by middle school. All of this was thanks to a rare genetic mutation that causes testotoxicosis, als ... Show More
53m 15s