Exposure to blue light can increase the risk of early puberty and even affect fertility

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One study finds that exposure to blue light in early childhood can increase a child's risk of hitting early puberty and can also lead to long-term fertility problems.  Early puberty is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems and even certain cancers later in life (file photo)

Exposure to blue light from phones and tablets in childhood can increase the production of reproductive hormones and increase the risk of an early onset of puberty and even affect future fertility, the study found

  • Exposure to blue light can increase a child’s risk of going through puberty early and having fertility problems in the future
  • Researchers found that exposure to blue light increased levels of some reproductive hormones
  • As a result, young girls may hit puberty earlier and may be at increased risk of cancer and mental health problems
  • The rate of precocious puberty has been increasing in the US for decades, to the concern of many experts

Exposure to blue light emitted by cellphones and tablets at a young age may increase a child’s risk of having an early onset of puberty and even affect their fertility in the future, a new study finds.

A Turkish team of researchers found that blue light increased levels of reproductive hormones in rats regularly exposed to it, causing them to reach puberty earlier and suffering changes to their ovaries that could potentially affect future fertility.

The dangers of blue light to sleep have long been researched and reported, but experts fear the rampant use of smartphones and tablets among teens may be more harmful than anyone previously imagined.

It could also explain the jump into precocious puberty – when a child goes through puberty well before the typical time – suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of children were spending more hours each day staring at screens.

Early puberty has been linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety throughout life, and even breast and uterine cancer.

One study finds that exposure to blue light in early childhood can increase a child’s risk of hitting early puberty and can also lead to long-term fertility problems. Early puberty is associated with an increased risk of mental health problems and even certain cancers later in life (file photo)

“We found that blue light, which is sufficient to alter melatonin levels, can also alter reproductive hormone levels and induce earlier onset of puberty in our rat model. The longer the exposure, the earlier the onset,” said Dr. Aylin Kilinç Uğurlu in a statement.

Researchers, who will present their findings at the 60th Annual Meeting of the European Society for Pediatric Endocrinology on Friday, collected 18 female rats for the study.

Young girls are now going through puberty earlier than they used to – and experts say it could set them lifelong problems

Young girls in America are going through puberty earlier than they used to, and while the causes are still debatable, some experts worry it could have a negative impact on young women’s health later in life – both mentally and physically.

The average age of puberty in the US has dropped from the typical, biologically recognized age of 12 to 10 for women. Black and Hispanic girls in particular hit puberty about a year earlier on average.

Experts tell DailyMail.com America’s growing obesity crisis may be the root cause, blaming poor diet for driving puberty. Others believe it could be caused by violent childhoods, and there’s also the theory that it’s related to an imbalance of certain hormones.

In addition, there are the negative long-term downsides, such as a previously unexplained connection between early puberty and cancer and the traumatic experiences caused by a young girl who is growing up a little too quickly.

The phenomenon was first discovered by Dr. Marcia Herman-Giddens, a public health expert at the University of North Carolina, discovered it when she began collecting data on more than 17,000 girls in the mid-1990s.

She found that the average age of puberty dropped to ten, with some girls developing as early as the age of six. Their findings spurred further research into the topic, with experts from many fields examining what caused this shift and what long-term implications it could have.

Both the causes and effects of precocious puberty, when a child goes through the process too early, are wide-ranging and cannot be explained with a simple one-size-fits-all solution.

Instead, the forward shift in the age of puberty could be the result of a variety of factors. And the repercussions it can have on a girl’s life can be far-reaching.

The rodents were divided into three groups. One was placed on a normal light cycle, while the other two were exposed to either six or 12 hours of blue light each day.

Puberty occurred much earlier than expected in both blue light groups.

Rats in the 12-hour group also had earlier puberty than the rats in the 6-hour group, showing a correlation between increased blue light exposure and the timing of puberty.

The rats in the two blue light groups also showed elevated levels of estradiol and luteinizing reproductive hormones, consistent with an early onset of puberty.

The research team also noted physical changes in the rats’ ovarian tissue.

The researchers aren’t sure how consistent these results would be with humans, but they do point to a potential risk that these ubiquitous devices can pose.

“Because this is a rat study, we cannot be sure that these results will be replicated in children, but these data suggest that exposure to blue light could be considered a risk factor for earlier onset of puberty,” said Ugurlu.

It was also found that the rats in the study had lower levels of melatonin than their peers – consistent with the damage blue light does to human sleep as well.

Researchers fear that a generation of young children raised in a world where gadgets consume almost everything will lead to a rise in precocious puberty – with many negative side effects.

The rate of early puberty, particularly among young girls, is increasing and has been for decades.

The average age of puberty in the US has dropped from the typical, biologically recognized age of 12 to 10 for women. Black and Hispanic girls in particular hit puberty about a year earlier on average.

Experts told DailyMail.com in June that America’s growing obesity crisis may be the root cause, blaming poor diet for driving puberty.

Others believe it could be caused by violent childhoods, and there’s also the theory that it’s related to an imbalance of certain hormones.

In addition, there are the negative long-term downsides, such as an as yet unexplained connection between early puberty and cancer and the traumatic experiences caused by a young girl growing up a little too quickly.

Turkey’s research team notes the rate of precocious puberty is believed to have skyrocketed over the past two years and fears increased screen time for many children during lockdown may have played a role.

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