Age at Menarche: Influences of Prenatal and Postnatal Growth

We have demonstrated for the first time that both birth weight and weight gain in childhood are associated with age at menarche. Weight gain before birth and subsequent weight gain up to the age of 8 yr were found to have opposing influences on the timing of menarche. Lower EBW combined with higher BMI during childhood predicted early age at menarche, and this relationship existed across normal birth weight and BMI ranges.