A girl's weight and race, as well as other genetic factors, can cause early menstrual cycles. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average age of menarche, or first menstrual period, for American girls is 12.6....
During a girl's first menstrual period, the bleeding may be irregular or abnormal. This is common, and usually the bleeding lasts for a varying number of days. Although bleeding during the first period is not the textbook "three to seven days," it...
The age of a girl's first menstrual cycle, called menarche, can vary a year or two from the average age of 12 or 13. Menstruation beginning at younger ages might signal an underlying medical condition, or it might have no specific cause. Because...
The first menstrual period, called the menarche, can be a very scary and moving time in a young girl's life. A girl's first period signals the end of childhood and the onset of womanhood. The timing of a female's first period varies from person to...
Most women at some point in their lives have experienced an early menstrual cycle. This is normal among girls beginning menstruation and women ending it, but there are other factors that can play a role it its cause. If menstrual cycles are close...
If you have a daughter, one day you must teach her about her menstrual period. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, reports that the average American girl has her first period, or menarche, at about age 12. However, the age...
It's difficult to pin down a time when you can expect to get your first period. Some girls get it at around 10 years old, but others don't get theirs until they're 16. Still, if you've begun to experience the other signs of puberty, such as hair...
Kids can begin showing signs of puberty earlier than you might think -- around age 7 or 8, according to the informational website KidsHealth,org. But some children enter puberty even earlier than that. Kids who experience this early puberty have a...
First menstruation, or menarche, can be an exciting time in a girl's life signaling entry into puberty and young womanhood. A girl will not start menarche until all of her reproductive organs have matured and are working together, usually around...
Exercise can significantly improve your quality of life. In addition to helping ward off osteoporosis, regular activity can increase your cardiovascular fitness, strengthen your immune system and alleviate depression. However, female athletes who...
Many female athletes and parents worry about the effects of exercise on the menstrual cycle. In the State of New York, girls who have not yet begun to menstruate are prohibited from competing in interscholastic athletic events. Moderate exercise...
The great changes that occur during the teenage years require special dietary needs that are unlike those at any other stage of life. During these years of nutritional importance, it is common to see unhealthy eating habits, such as skipping...
The onset of puberty is a disconcerting time for parent and child alike. The average age for first periods, known medically as menarche, in the United States is 12-1/2 years, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services at its...
Factors that often play a role in the regularity and flow of a woman's menstrual cycle include hormone changes, genetics, serious medical conditions and body mass index. Of all these factors, you have the most control over your body mass index, or...
We've all heard about how the onset of menstruation marks the beginning of womanhood, but not all pre-teens feel quite ready to cross such a dramatic threshold. On a practical level, however, menarche initiates a sanitary and hormonal cycle that...
Puberty is the time in life in which a person becomes sexually mature. On average, in the United States, girls go through puberty from ages 10 to 14 and boys go through it between ages 12 to 16, though some boys and girls may begin earlier or...
Industrial cattle and sheep production in the United States relies heavily on the use of synthetic growth hormones to accelerate weight gain and increase milk production. This trend in animal husbandry has generated fierce debate over potential...
Puberty is the time of life in which a child's body begins maturing into that of an adult. This process involves rapid changes, including skeletal and muscular growth and maturation of reproductive organs. Pre-puberty is another name for...
Estrogen is the primary hormone produced in the ovaries. The ovaries begin their production of estrogen in response to chemical stimulation from the area of the brain known as the pituitary gland. Low levels of estrogen in young women can occur...
Obesity in children is a growing concern for parents and the health community. According to Colorado State University, 16 percent of children are considered overweight. Environment, genetics and eating habits play a role in the weight of children....
The amount of blood loss in a menstrual cycle may be different from woman to woman. Some women have a light to medium flow and others have a heavy flow. It is not uncommon for women to have a heavy flow at some point in their reproductive years....
Exercising and playing sports have many benefits for girls and women. However, as with any good thing, moderation is the key. Mental and physical disturbances can occur in female athletes who go to extremes, either in exercise or eating. There is...
Biosocial developmental theory explores how genetic, chemical and nervous system functions are influenced by the social environment and how social pressures affect the expression of biological processes. Physical, cognitive, personality and social...
Breast development occurs in females during puberty. This development occurs in five stages, called "Tanner stages," named after Dr.Tanner, who first described them. Breast development can occur at varying ages and typically starts one to two...
The onset of puberty during adolescence involves major physical changes that make sexual reproduction possible. Several stages of puberty occur in a consistent chronological order. Puberty is initiated by the release of sex hormones in both boys...
As a female enters puberty, her body starts releasing estrogen, progesterone and small amounts of testosterone. These hormones bring about a number of changes to the way a female looks and feels, and to her reproductive system. As you go through...
Celiac disease, or a sensitivity to gluten, affects mostly the digestive system. However, its symptoms are not restricted to digestive problems. In fact, it's one of the primary medical causes of amenorrhea, or missing periods, in women, and can...
Numerous conditions can cause abdominal and lower back pain. According to the Cleveland Clinic -- one of the top four hospitals in the United States -- muscle strains, poor posture, obesity and traumatic injury can cause lower back pain. However,...
Most women will experience abnormal bleeding at some point in their reproductive years. Often times, this bleeding is of no significance and will usually go away after a few days. However, in some cases abnormal bleeding may signify a medical...
