3 Yr Old Showing Signs of Development

What a coincidence! I was watching my 5 year old bathe this morning and noticed she is starting to have little "boobies" grow. We kind of laughed about it. But I was concerned also, thinking about menstruation starting early, etc. I know all the women in my family, from grandmother on down, including my sister (who was very thin) had to have breast reductions. I was overweight in my teens, but wore a double D. I didn't have mine until I was 30 though. Truthfully, there is no telling what it is. But I think the best advice is to ask a doctor before you start going off the deep end.

My niece was born with her breast forming, we all thought it would flatten down but never did, and she is now 13yrs old. She is the right size for her body, and she is not over weight. So don't worry about it, she will be fine.

No clue. My 2 1/2 year old doesn't drink milk at all- NEVER has. I do remember though when she was 2 months old people saying that she was going to have big breasts because you could already see something there. You still can. I think it's just different for everyone. Like I said, my daughter doesn't even drink milk... so I wouldn't think that would have anything to do with it. And she is DEFINATLY not overweight. We just made it to the bottom 5% on the weight chart!! She's 32 months and weighs 24.6 lbs. I think everyone is just different!

This is all about where our bodies store most of our fat. Different folks store those fat cells differently. Like you said, each is different. Don't call any attention to it and of course, there's nothing that can be done about it if there's not a weight problem. You definitely don't want to make the child self conscience about it or it will only get worse as she ages. You can buy little girls sports bras as she gets bigger if she really needs some light support.

A., you should talk to your pediatrician. I actually watched this on a show called the Doctors. Little girls are going through puberty faster and as early as 2 years. I am of course not an expert but you might just talk with the dr about this. The girls on the show have been placed on hormone injections to stop the cycles. Good luck.

It could be nothing, but if you're worried about it, take her to your pediatrician.

As for the dairy issue, you CAN get milk from cows that are not dosed with synthetic hormones. Look on the label for the words "rBGH-free" or words to that effect. rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone) is also sometimes referred to as SBGH (synthetic bovine growth hormone). Dairy cows are sometimes dosed with it to increase their milk supply and lenthen their lactation time.
I don't know what brands are avaialable in your area, but where I live, Kleinpeter, Smith Creamery, Borden, and Poinsettia brands are all hormone-free, and only cost about a dollar a gallon more than the store brand milk.

When my daughter was young, my pediatricain told me not to give a little one skim or low-fat milk. Their little bodies burn up fuel at a phenomenal rate and they NEED those fat calories.

Definitely take her to a doctor and get her hormone levels tested. If you can and are willing, I suggest a naturopathic doctor that does saliva testing instead of blood as it is more accurate.

It is very possible that she is overloaded (all of you probably are, she just happens to be showing it physically) with estrogen (xenoestrogens if you want to look it up) that is found in plastics, house hold cleaners, carpet, cosmetics, soap, shampoo, vegitables grown with pesticides and chemical fertilizers (basically everything you get at the grocery store), milk from cows injected with hormones, eggs from chickens injected with hormones and of course the meat of animals injected with estrogen to make them more plump.

Development can be reversed with the proper hormone balancing regimen provided by a good doctor. Most likely you would need to find a naturopathic doctor to help you though.

A.

I do not believe your daughter would be developing breast at this age. My son had something called Gynecomatis. The breast were enlarged and he took a medication, cannot remember what, and it helped with the problem. He was in Jr. High and was not overweight. Take her to her doctor and let him check her out. Everyone is going to have a different opinion. She could also have an immflammtion in that area. Not uncommon in children. Let us know what you find out,

S.

I have recently been hearing about this alot from a group of moms and they have been hearing that there has been increasing amounts of hormones in chicken so if she is eatin alot of chicken this could be the culprate. try cutting back on this because an early developement could mean early menapause also.

she will probably outgrow it soon. its probably just a little bit of baby fat. what does pediatrician say?

Dear A.,
My daughter did the same thing I noticed it even younger. She is now nine and does not have overlly big breasts she has to wear a bra but it is an A. Since she was very little she seemed to have a little there and I was concerned about the hormones in our food too but it seems it's just genetics. I wouldn't get too worried right now if you see them growing pretty rapidly then I would be concerned but I doubt that will happen. Hope this helps your feelings.

H. S.

Well, it may just be her physical type. I love milk and dairy products, but had late puberty and have always been very very skinny. I mean, many girls I knew started their periods around age 11 or 12, and I didn't until after my 14th birthday. Now, we did use powdered milk a lot in cooking, so maybe that invalidates anything I'm saying, but.... My older sister (likely) has a hormonal imbalance called polycystic ovarian syndrome (like my mother had), which among other things causes problems with weight gain. My sister has not been diagnosed, as far as I know, but her physical symptoms resemble my mother's and also those of several of my sisters-in-law, who have polycycstic ovaries. My younger sister is taller than I and even skinnier. So, it could just be your daughter's particular genetics.

If you want hormone-free milk, check out your local Braum's ice cream parlor, if you have one in your community. They don't add hormones to their dairy cows, and the price is comparable to grocery-store brands. (And I think it tastes better.) Something else I've heard but I've not read heavily about is soy - it's possible that soy products also mimic female hormones and so are not good in large amounts for young children, especially boys. And it's astonishing how many things soy products are in - not only most anything that uses oil, but also bread and cookies. But you'd have to research soy on your own to be sure, because I haven't read much on it specifically.

And little kids need the calories that come in whole milk until they're at least 2 years of age. And not just the calories, but the fat itself is necessary for the healthy development of their brains, because much of the brain consists of fats. They (and we) also need omega-3 fatty acids and DHA for healthy brains; these are found in animal products like fish and free-range chicken eggs (though "multigrain diet fed" chicken eggs are a decent substitute if you can't afford free-range). My husband is studying medical biochemistry in medical school right now and is telling me all sorts of interesting things! (Including that "partially hydrogenated" anything = trans fat, and they're really bad for you, so go off the ingredient list and not the nutrition label, because if a serving contains less than .5g of trans fats, then the company doesn't have to report it. And, high fructose corn syrup is really hard on the body, so try to find other sugars.)

Right, so not all of that is related to your question. But I hope something in there does help.

Hi A.,

I would take her to the doctor, but you also might consider her exposure to plastics. More and more research is showing that chemicals used in the production of plastic (among other things) mimic female hormones in the body and can lead to early development. It's pretty easy to find these articles on the internet if you want to read about it. We have tried to move away from plastic sippies (especially in the dishwasher), plastic food storage containers (especially for acidic food/heating food), plastic juice jugs, etc. It's hard to avoid all of it--they use these chemicals even in the liners of cans, paper coffee cups...well all over the place, but you've probably seen more metal and glass alternatives to plastic lately. I figure it's a good place to start.

Good luck!
L.

PS We use old jam jars and peanut butter jars and such for food storage, so it's not like you have to spend a ton of money replacing your Tupperware!

Dear A.,

I would contact Lita Lee as she is an expert in helping people with hormone issues. Her web address is www.litalee.com. I would also look into the Weston Price foundation. I believe the problem is from too many hormones in our food supply and you will have to change what you are feeding your family. I would stay far away from hormone injections! There is also a good cookbook out called Nourishing Traditions. I would look into that as well. Hope you figure it out...

T.

Hi A.!
I would take her to the doctor. They will be able to tell you if it is a little baby fat or breast tissue. True breast tissue could be a sign of precocious puberty (which is actually pretty common). Most of the time it's just a little baby fat, but either way it will set your mind at ease to know exactly what it is and if you need to change anything. You may be referred to a pediatric endocrinologist for further evaluation if necessary.
Hope this helps and have a blessed day!

i have heard of that too. i would talk to my dr and definitely go organic! or at least braums--no rBGH there either. don't forget to go organic with beef, yogurt and cheese as well, since it is in there too.

Yes, ditch the dairy. And the plastics (like food storage containers, saran wrap, etc. (or at least don't let the saran wrap *touch* the food). Also, avoid using chemical cleaners. Some of them have hormone mimickers in them. Use natural cleaners instead (clorox greenworks, or just use lemon, baking soda, vinegar, etc. - very effective, very sanitizing - esp. the vinegar, tea tree oil, etc.). Learn more at care2.com in their healthy home section.

This is especially important because early sexual development also signals an increased risk for cancer, endometriosis, et al.

L.

PS it is NOT just genetics. I know because I edited a PIRG report that dealt with the issues of plastics, and we went into early sexual development in detail. You need to get the chemicals out of your daughter's body for her long-term health. Be really alert to where these things are in her environment. Don't let her wear vinyl boots, etc. (And get rid of any vinyl around the house, like floor mats under office chairs.)