Girls may face risks from phthalates

Physically precocious young girls often must endure stares and nasty catcalls. The problem of early development is particularly prevalent in Puerto Rico, and researchers there have found a possible culprit.

This 23-month-old Puerto Rican girl exhibits premature breast development. Bourdony/EHP

For more than 2 decades, their island has hosted an inexplicable epidemic of premature breast development, or thelarche.