> -----Original Message----- > From: warbi [mailto:warbi at warbi.net] > Sent: Wednesday, September 01, 2004 3:33 PM > To: Dragaera List > Subject: RE: Dragaeran Pregnancies -- Length? > > > > --------- > > Heh, point ceded on the age of menarche issue- I read quite > some time ago about the earlier onset, but should have done a > quick search on the age before I typed <bangs head on keyboard>. Don't bang your head too hard. It's been in the news a lot lately, because it's sensationalist to say "Girls are maturing earlier, whatever is the world coming to!" But there is certainly something to be concerned about. Onset of puberty in girls has accelerated, independent even of nutrition. Average age of menarche hasn't changed, but the rest of it (hormone fluctuations, breast development) is occurring earlier. The event that really made headlines was when they changed the definition of "precocious puberty" because too many young girls qualified. They had to say "This is normal now" when an 8 year old white girl or 7 year old black girl shows breast development (sorry, I don't know the ages for other races). Another newsworthy and very interesting thing happened in Puerto Rico, when baby girls as young as 2 years started turning up with breast development. That is most likely due to pollutants that mimic hormones. Not really anything to do with Dragaera, unless Dragaeran sorcery, which has some effect on the air similar to air pollution, also creates pollution that interferes with hormones. Possible, given that Dragaerans can use sorcery to control their fertility. Rachel