A systematic review on maternal and perinatal factors influencing breast development

The results of this review show that high maternal weight, primiparity and early weight gain were associated with an increased risk of early breast onset/development. Late breast onset/development was associated with preterm birth. Breast development is a key physical marker of puberty onset, and early puberty development is linked to consequences that can reverberate throughout life. Answering the questions about the interconnections between pre/postnatal environmental exposures and their impact on puberty, represents an important area of multidis- ciplinary research.