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Join an NIEHS Study
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Demystifying a Girl's First Period

Studies Seeking Participants Icon Studies Seeking Participants Location icon Residents of North Carolina 8 - 14 Ages 8 - 14 Gender Icon Female Only
Interested in Enrolling?
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Studies Seeking Participants IconStudies Seeking Participants Location iconResidents of North Carolina 8 - 14Ages 8 - 14 Gender IconFemale Only Sign Up IconInterested in Enrolling?

Why is it so unpredictable?

Printable Demystifying a Girl’s First Period Printable Study Flyer (951KB)

Moms, help your daughters prepare for puberty by enrolling them in a new study called A Girl’s First Period - Why Is It So Unpredictable?

Who Can Participate?

  • Girls 8 -14 years old
  • Have some breast development
  • Have had no more than four periods

What Is Required?

  • A parent or guardian must give permission and attend all study visits with their daughter
  • An initial screening visit at the Clinical Research Unit, with follow-up home visits every six months for two years
  • Finger prick and urine tests to measure hormones
  • Ultrasounds of the abdomen to look at the ovaries and uterus

What are the advantages for participants?

  • Quick and easy tracking of menstrual cycles
  • Educational materials
  • Health assessment and consultation with a female pediatrician
  • Compensation for participants after completing each set of semiannual visits

Who Is Running the Study?

A team, led by pediatrician and hormone specialist Natalie Shaw, M.D., at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Clinical Research Unit.

Lead Researcher

Natalie D. Shaw, M.D., MMSc.

Natalie D. Shaw, M.D., MMSc.

Tel 984-287-3716
natalie.shaw@nih.gov
Learn More About Natalie D. Shaw, M.D., MMSc.

Natalie D. Shaw, M.D., M.M.Sc. received a B.S. from Cornell University, an M.D. from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo, and a Masters in Medical Sciences (MMSc) from Harvard Medical School. She completed her pediatrics residency at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, and a clinical research fellowship in the Reproductive Endocrine Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital.

In 2015, Shaw was one of five junior researchers selected as a Lasker Clinical Research Scholar by the National Institutes of Health. The Lasker program is a joint partnership between the NIH and the Lasker Foundation designed to support a small number of exceptional clinical researchers in the early stages of their careers. Its goal is to promote the development of physician-scientists as they transition to fully independent positions. When Shaw joined NIEHS in September 2015, she became the first Lasker Scholar in the history of the institute.

Research Webpage

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