ESPE Abstracts

Objectives: Age at menarche depends on genetic, environmental, epigenetic and other factors. Studies have shown that aspects of perinatal history, including birth weight, mode of delivery (caesarian section or vaginal delivery) and gestational week at birth influence the onset of puberty. The purpose of this study was to record the age at menarche in a sample of Greek girls and to correlate it with their perinatal history, the mothers’ age at menarche, the position in the number of family members and the place of residence.

Methods: Recruitment involved 100 girls of Greek origin aged up to 18 years with first vaginal bleeding (menarche). Informed consent was obtained for girls and parents or legal guardians. The participants were divided into two groups according age at menarche; the study group with menarche before 11 years and the control group with menarche after 11 years. Data on perinatal, family and personal history were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed and the limit of statistical significance was set at 5% (p < 0.05).

Results: The mean age of the girls at recruitment was 12.51 ± 2.59 years. Menarche before the age of 11 years was reported by 43% of girls (early group), while 57% reported menarche after the age of 11 years (control group). Girls living in rural areas consisted the 43% of the study population, while those living in cities were the rest 57%. Regarding mothers’ menarche 76% reported menarche after the age of 11 years and 24% menarche before the age of 11 years. In the early group 12% were SGA neonates, while in the control group only 8% were SGA (P=0.043). Type of delivery differed significantly between the groups; the cesarean section rate was significantly higher (36%) in the early group compared to controls (12%) (P<0.001). Vaginal delivery was recorded in 45% of the control group compared to the early group (7%) (P<0.001). No statistically significant difference was found in other parameters.

Conclusions: In the present study, girls born SGA are reported at a higher frequency among those with early menarche. Accordingly, girls with early menarche present more frequent caesarean section than vaginal delivery. These findings are consistent with the current literature, although confirmation of these associations is expected to be further explored in larger population samples.