Exposure to blue light, like that from smartphones or tablets, may lead to early puberty in males, according to a study in mice. The research, presented at the ongoing 61st Annual European Society for Paediatric Endocrinology Meeting in The Hague, Netherlands, sheds light on how environmental factors, such as screen time, impact early puberty and testicular tissue, which could eventually lead to future prevention strategies for children.

Early puberty for most children does not have an obvious cause. Sometimes it is due to genetics, or there is a problem in the brain, such as an injury or tumour, or in the thyroid, adrenal or sex glands.