UAE: Girls as young as 8 are getting their first period; doctors explain why

When UAE resident S.S. found out that her eight-and-a-half-year-old daughter M.S. had got her periods, she was shocked. None of the women in her family had a history of early menstruation and she did not know anyone who had got their periods that young.

“Initially, her cycles were sporadic but then a little after she turned nine, her periods became very heavy,” she said. “At one point, she was bleeding very heavily for an entire month. She would be scared to go to sleep because every morning, her clothes and bedsheets would be stained.”

M.S. is among a growing number of young girls who are experiencing early onset of menstruation. Some doctors are seeing children as young as eight getting their periods.

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“Worldwide, the average age of puberty varies between 8 and 14 years, depending on a number of factors, including ethnicity,” said Dr Amal Abddelaziz, consultant and head of the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Thumbay University Hospital. “We commonly see girls aged 10 to 12 getting their periods, which is considered normal.”

Start of Puberty

Some experts say that the early age for first period is associated with many factors such as higher socio-economic status, obesity, nutritional status and general health.

“Today's pre-teens are maturing faster than any previous generation,” said Dr Charles Nagy, consultant obstetrician & gynaecologist at Medcare Women & Children Hospital. “The average age of menarche, or first menstruation, in the developed world has steadily decreased from 17 years a century ago to 9 years today. Although boys are also reaching puberty earlier, the rate increase is not as concerning.”

They have also advised parents to prepare their children for menstruation earlier than later. “Paediatricians advise talking about puberty around age 8, which is right before all the physical changes begin,” said Dr Nagy. “Most children can comprehend the fundamentals by the time they are 6 or 7 years old. Look for signs of readiness and a suitable moment to discuss it, like when children ask about physical changes or when they want to know where babies come from or when you're at the store purchasing tampons or pads.”

S.S. added that she had spoken to her daughter about periods from a very young age and this helped her to be mentally prepared. “I had started talking to her about the concept from a very young age and I had even demonstrated to her how to use a pad,” she said. “This helped her to be prepared when she got her period that young.”

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