A generation ago, fewer than 5 percent of girls started puberty before the age of 8; today, that percentage has more than doubled. Early puberty is not just a matter of physical transformation - it's also deeply psychological, with a myriad of effects that can put a girl at higher risk for behavioral problems and long-term health challenges.

In this reassuring and empowering guide, Louise Greenspan, MD, and Julianna Deardoff, PhD - two leading experts on the root causes and potential consequences of early puberty in girls - deliver vital advice on how to prevent and manage early puberty. They explain surprising triggers - from excess body fat to hormone-mimicking chemicals to emotional stressors in a girl's home and family life - and offer highly practical strategies, including how to limit exposure to certain ingredients in personal care and household products, which foods to eat and which to avoid, ways to improve a child's sleep routine to promote healthy biology, and more.