MIREC-ENDO

Many people believe that puberty is beginning earlier and earlier, especially in girls. Unfortunately, the reason for this trend remains unclear. Some suspect that diet and body weight are factors, while others believe environmental chemicals may play a role.

We also want to learn about the factors that may affect body weight and metabolism for both mothers and their children. Some studies suggest a possible link between environmental chemicals and the likelihood of being overweight. We hope to shed some light on this question as well.

Because of the vast amount of data collected in the critical periods of infant and child development, MIREC is uniquely suited to be able to study factors affecting early or delayed puberty, growth and metabolic health. Metabolic health has been defined as ideal levels of blood sugar, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, blood pressure, and waist circumference, without using medication.

MIREC-ENDO is designed to measure the timing of puberty and children’s development. Kids reach puberty at different ages, and the three phases will allow us to capture the starting point and progression of puberty for the participating kids.

Phase I began in 2018 and was underway when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which altered our original plan for this phase. An at-home adaptation was developed to continue to capture important study data from our participants.

The recruitment of Phase II began in 2022, and will continue until March 2024.