Are Adopted Children at Risk for Premature Puberty?
By: Kristie Leong M.D. It seems that children experiencing premature puberty is increasing these days. This is particularly true for children who are adopted internationally and brought to a new country to live. Although there’s a disturbing trend toward early puberty among children born in America, this trend is even more pronounced in children who are adopted from foreign countries. In fact, studies have shown that children adopted internationally are up to 20 times more likely to develop early puberty than those born in America. A study conducted in Denmark looked at 655 children, noting whether they were born in Denmark, adopted from another country or immigrated to Denmark with their family from another country. The children were followed for several years by the researchers. It was noted that children who were adopted from foreign countries were 15 to 20 times more likely to develop early puberty than children who were born in Denmark. Children who immigrated from another country
