Jasmine A McDonald, Sinaida Cherubin, Mandy Goldberg, Ying Wei, Wendy K Chung, Lisa A Schwartz, Julia A Knight, C Mary Schooling, Regina M Santella, Angela R Bradbury, Saundra S Buys, Irene L Andrulis, Esther M John, Mary B Daly, Mary Beth Terry
Earlier pubertal development is only partially explained by childhood body mass index; the role of other factors, such as childhood infections, is less understood. Using data from the LEGACY Girls Study (North America, 2011-2016), we prospectively examined the associations between childhood viral infections (cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), herpes simplex virus (HSV) 1, HSV2) and pubertal timing. We measured exposures based on seropositivity in premenarcheal girls (n = 490). Breast and pubic hair development were classified based on mother-reported Tanner Stage (TS) (TS2+ compared with TS1), adjusting for age, body mass index, and sociodemographic factors...
May 4, 2021: American Journal of Epidemiology