Pilot study on the dietary habits and lifestyles of girls with idiopathic precocious puberty from the city of Rome: potential impact of exposure to flame retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers.

Puberty is regulated by the endocrine system, which when disrupted can affect reproductive health. Endocrine disrupters (ED) are involved in the pathogenesis of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP). Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) are lipophilic, persistent ED used as flame retardants in several products; thus, human population is exposed through food and domestic dust. PBDE exposure during the peripubertal period is suspected to interfere with reproductive development. The study aimed to investigate PBDE serum concentration in 31 girls with ICPP as well as describe their dietary habits and lifestyles. The PBDE median level was 59 ng/g of lipids, higher than in healthy girls in comparable studies. Interestingly, elder girls and girls with higher body mass index (BMI) showed higher PBDE serum levels. Considering the relevance of altered puberty onset as a risk factor for reproductive health, studies on food contribution to PBDE exposure in Italian children, and efforts to ameliorate risk assessment for emerging chemicals are suggested.