The Scientific Method at Work

Herman-Giddens formulated a hypothesis, and between July 1992 and September 1993, 225 pediatricians, nurses, and physicians’ assistants in private practices across the United States collected data on 17,077 girls between the ages of 3 and 12 who came into their offices. The data suggested that girls were entering puberty about a year before textbooks said was normal. In 1997 Herman-Giddens published her findings in the journal Pediatrics.

Critics say that the study’s conclusions are dangerous because “if doctors assume that girls who start developing at 6 or 7 are normal, they might miss serious medical problems like tumors or genetic disorders that can cause early puberty.” Furthermore, the critics say, a single study is not sufficient to demonstrate the hypothesis. Many of the girls in the study may have been brought in by their parents for examination because they were experiencing early puberty due to an underlying medical condition.

You can see the scientific method at work once again here: http://www.nytimes.com/2001/02/20/health...

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