Menarche is a medical term used when a female adolescent has the occurrence of the first menstrual period. During the Menarche, a young female might witness an irregular or uncertain menstruation period. It usually occurs every 28 days and within 21 to 45 days. The start of the menstrual cycle in women is considered the start of a women’s start to a reproductive life. Most of these menstrual cycles happen between 3 to 7 days.
The occurrence of Menarche suggests the physical event in a series of events which is known as Puberty. Menarche usually starts occurring within 2-to 3 after the onset of breast development. Puberty and Menarche occur due to the change in the hormone levels of estrogens, progestogens, and androgens which secrete increasing amounts of ovaries.
Understanding how the age factor works during Menarche
Every girl experiences the Menarche at a different age, but usually, it begins around the age of 8 to 12. The average age of Menarche is 12 years, but it can vary for girls belonging from different ethnic or racial backgrounds.
However, this phenomenon has seen a drastic change in the past 100 years; It is improving due to providing nutritional diets to children and adolescents. The data provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tells us that by 14 years, 90% of American girls have had their first menstrual cycle. Also, the result points out how the average age at which a girl has her period has been declining.
What factors affect Menarche?
- Menarche is usually affected by location, Genetics, race, nutrition, environmental conditions, health status, psychological factors, and Body Mass Index.
- A minimum level of 17% of body mass is related to Menarche, and girls who are heavier according to their current age experience menarche early.
- Families with highly educated parents and a robust socioeconomic background are less likely to experience an early menstrual cycle.
What can cause a delay in the Menarche cycle?
Sometimes young females at the age of 8 to 12 do not witness the development they should due to Puberty, but there are times when there is a delay in the process of Puberty. It is a normal variation that sometimes depends on your family genetics, also known as the Constitutional delay of Puberty. Children who do not start this process at a particular age are late bloomers. However, it is more common in boys than girls.
Also, various disorders can lead to this, such as inflammatory bowel disease, kidney disease, cystic fibrosis, anaemia, and diabetes Mellitus, preventing sexual development in adolescents.
Symptoms of your first Menstrual Cycle
Some girls might start their cycle without any prior warnings, while others might experience Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) in the days.
These Symptoms include:
- Back pain
- Mood swings
- Feeling soreness in your breasts
- Abdominal Bloating
- Fatigue
Best way to prepare your child
The best possible way to prepare your child against this is to talk to them about it. The parent needs to explain to the children the process of Puberty and how it changes a young individual’s body in various ways.
You can help your child avoid getting misinformation from their friends by talking to your child. Usually, children that age are scared to speak to their friends and try to spread some misinformation, leading to an unnecessary scare. Make sure your child is comfortable around you talking about the problems they face during the menstrual cycle.
