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Well, IMO, just because we're biologically able to procreate at age 12, that doesn't mean it is what "nature" intends. Our biology includes being social, and socialized, and that's where my argument comes in. Also, our culture changes our biology -- in the US, the average age for the onset of puberty has been going down and that's often attributed to cultural factors like how our food produced (hormones in meat, dairy), average BMI, all sorts of theories are out there.
Really relevant link to this topic.
The evolution of evolution. - By William Saletan - Slate Magazine (http://www.slate.com/id/2179998/fr/rss/ - broken link)
It is possible, though not likely, that the young girl ovulated and conceived before experiencing her first period. Frighteningly, my mother, who is a obstetrical nurse, once had a patient who was pregnant at age nine. She had been a victim of incest.
This happened in Belgium - so unless you know their culture and laws, this may not be viewed as horrible like it is here in the USA. Did you know that in some aborigianl tribes people are married at the age of 10 and they start their families immediately and it is normal. Ten year olds in the USA are immature because we want it that way.
Not as uncommon as it used to be. There are girls as young as 9 who get pregnant before their first period. Especially since those girls are mature for their age. There usually is a history of sex with an older male, perhaps even a family member. The child is just thought to be getting fat. It never dawns on anyone that she is pregnant because of the abuse that is a common thing in the family. If she is a fatty with the prominent baby fat belly, it is even less noticeable.
Or the abuse is not even thought of because it is not something that is common.
Any obese (fatty ) little girl would be more of suspision of abuse because sometimes girls eat to deal with abuse.
How is it not natural? She lives in a very wealthy country, with a good social safety net. She apparently was naturally able to give birth. If it wasn't natural, she wouldn't have been able to get pregnant in the first place. There is a biological reason why women are able to conceive before say... 21 years old.
Culture is another story. I agree that it's really important for a young mother to have that support. I wish our culture was more in tune with that. One aspect with how the middle/upper classes of America tend to be delusional about parenthood is how they think it's *so horrible* that poor single teenage girls get pregnant. They're totally out of touch with what the reality for the mother is like, and their value system makes them heavily biased against things like young parenthood.
*sigh* No, what we have learned is that preteen and teen bodies ar still developing and growing. We have learned, through generations of "died in childbirth" stories that the younger women often have a difficult time birthing babies naturally.
It would natural if and only if she was able to push that baby out without a c-section, which at this age and in our day and age is pretty rare because we know the dangers.
Well, IMO, just because we're biologically able to procreate at age 12, that doesn't mean it is what "nature" intends. Our biology includes being social, and socialized, and that's where my argument comes in. Also, our culture changes our biology -- in the US, the average age for the onset of puberty has been going down and that's often attributed to cultural factors like how our food produced (hormones in meat, dairy), average BMI, all sorts of theories are out there.
Here's a weird analogy -- when I grow tomato plants, I pinch off the first flowers so the plant can be stronger and more mature when it bears fruit and grow more tomatoes for me later in the summer. So I think its in our nature to socialize and cultivate.
...hormones, bmi, and don't forget GENETICS! We live a rather more natural unprocessed, organic lifestyle but even so, our 7 year old, who is very skinny, thin, is starting puberty, which comes from the genetics from her fathers side. It was/is very common for the girls, and boys, to start puberty before age 10.
Wow I didn't know that actually! I'm wrong then, especially reading stuff like this:
Quote:
Some of the aspects of family structure and function reported to be independently associated with earlier menarche:
* The increased incidence of childhood obesity (reaching a body weight of 100 lbs or 45 kg appears to be an important "trigger" for the very young reaching menarche--both estrogen and progesterone are fat-soluble hormones).
* Absence of father from the home from early childhood
* High conflict family relationships
Some of the aspects of family structure and function reported to be independently associated with earlier menarche:
* The increased incidence of childhood obesity (reaching a body weight of 100 lbs or 45 kg appears to be an important "trigger" for the very young reaching menarche--both estrogen and progesterone are fat-soluble hormones).
* Absence of father from the home from early childhood
* High conflict family relationships
and
Quote:
Some of the aspects of family structure and function reported to be independently associated with later menarche:
* Larger family size
* Warmer, closer or more positive relationship with biological father
* Warmer, more supportive, low stress family environment
from Menarche - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
So it certainly doesn't sound as simple as "better fed, healthier, faster growing children" being the cause. Seems like current cultures/environments are going against the intentions of nature in that aspect.
Like I said, my daughter is 7. It runs in DH's side of the family and many of these were issues for them but not DD.
She is not obese, 7 years old and 47 pounds
father and I have always been together
low to no conflict in our relationship (we rarely argue and when we do, it is never in front of the children)
including us parents, we are a family of 5
She is a complete Daddy's girl and has a close relationship with her father.
And we have a warmer, more supporitive, less stress environment
Yet our 7 year old still started puberty. It is normal for her father's side of the family. Of course I'm not ready for it but I've answered all her questions honestly and have provided a decent amount of sex ed talk with her. She knows many terms and what they mean, including sex, rape, ect. She knows there are ways to prevent getting pregnant but the main one we are focusing with her at her age is avoiding situations in which sexual relations could happen, saying no, and us not leaving her in situations were things could happen, which we already worry about so that is nothing added.
Could she get pregnant at age at 10? Probably, but preventing it starts with us talking to her NOW.
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my 12 yearold mom
Or the abuse is not even thought of because it is not something that is common.
