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Reuters - McGill study: Mom's age at puberty may influence kids' size

Published: 1 July 2010

Why are some children taller than others? It seems their height might be linked at least partly to how old - or young - their mom was when she got her first menstrual period. A new study suggests that the earlier a woman reached this milestone of puberty, called menarche, the slightly faster her kids will grow.

"Growth is a complex phenomenon influenced by both genetic and environmental factors," lead researcher Dr. Olga Basso of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, told Reuters Health. A mother's age at her first period, which is partly influenced by genes, is probably just one factor in this process, she said. The study is published in the International Journal of Obesity.

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