Women who have children later in life age better

[minime]

A study has found - Those who used hormonal contraceptives for more than 10 years, began their menstrual cycle before the age of 13 or had their last baby after turning 35 were mentally sharper post-menopause.

 

Women who have babies later in life are more likely to have superior cognitive skills in their old age, a new study has claimed. Postmenopausal women who had their last pregnancy after 35 also had better verbal memory and those who had their first pregnancy after the age of 24 had better executive function, which includes attention control, working memory, reasoning and problem solving. 

 

The study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, is the first of its kind to investigate the correlation between age at last pregnancy and cognitive function post-menopause. "Based on the findings, we would certainly not recommend that women wait until they're 35 to close their family, but the study provides strong evidence that there is a positive association between later age at last pregnancy and late-life cognition,†said lead author Roksana Karim, assistant professor of clinical preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. 

 

830 women with an average age of 60 were given a series of tests including assessments of verbal memory, psychomotor speed, attention and concentration, planning and visual perception as part of the research.  The study lends weight to the idea that a longer exposure to oestrogen and progesterone in life could counter postmenopausal memory decline.  "Starting your period early means you have higher levels of the female sex hormone being produced by the ovaries," Ms Karim said.   "Girls are receiving the optimal levels early, so it's possible that their brain structures are better developed compared to those who are exposed to estrogen levels associated with menstrual cycles at a later age." 

 

Researchers also found use of the contraceptive pill produced better cognitive function in later life.   "Oral contraceptives maintain and sustain a stable level of sex hormones in our bloodstream, stable is good,†Ms Karim said. The findings also found women who didn’t carry their pregnancy to full-term had better overall cognitive ability.  "The finding that even incomplete pregnancies are beneficial was novel and surprising," said Wendy Mack, the study's senior author and professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine. 

 

"In general, our findings are intriguing and are supported by other clinical studies and animal studies."  Ms Mack also criticised previous studies that found evidence of “pregnancy brainâ€, where pregnant women have poorer verbal memory.   "The issue is the human studies haven't followed women for the long term," she said.   "They just looked at women during pregnancy. We are not sure if we can expect to detect a positive estrogen effect at that point, as the many bodily changes and psychosocial stressors during pregnancy also can impact women's cognitive and emotional functions."

 

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/women-children-pregnancy-later-life-age-better-study-a7424541.html

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A/N: What are your thoughts on these findings girls?

        I love how these counter a number of previous prescriptions which threaten women with dire consequences if they choose to wait to have a baby or use contraceptives!

[Puremystic]

that's kind of an unfair assessment because in order to have a baby later in life you need to have good healthy genes anyway otherwise it's a very high risk pregnancy on the mother and fetus.....

and those good genes in general usually mean you age better hence being able to have a child at such a later age.....

[Micah Bell]

I think 32 would be the perfect age, because you're already settled and mentally prepared for a child. 24 seems way too young in this modern time imo.

[moya]

Having first child after age of 30 is rising risk of complications or even risk of baby being born disabled.

 

Contraceptives and their long term usage also can cause cancer.

 

It looks more like "study" to sell more pills tbh.

[crimsonsnow]

Daily internet reminder that correlation does not equal causation

[nikynik345]

That actually makes sense, raising kids is stressful, young mom's especially SINGLE moms end up getting gray hairs earlier, wrinkles, have more health problems. Also, women who wait until their 30's to have kids, have less than those who start in their teens or twenties, which is technically not a bad thing since the population growth is apparently alarming.

 

I'm all for women not getting married or having kids until their 30's. It could also potentially decrease divorce rates because people in their thirties have a better sense of self, better jobs and will make better choices. I think people should have fun in their 20's and then settle down in their 30's!

[nikynik345]

Having first child after age of 30 is rising risk of complications or even risk of baby being born disabled.

 

Contraceptives and their long term usage also can cause cancer.

 

It looks more like "study" to sell more pills tbh.

I think that it's obvious that whole "have kids before your 30's" rule is several decades old and with the more advanced medical technology of this era it isn't as big of a deal than it was in the 70's or even 10 years ago. It's obvious that if more and more people are having kids later in life, more medical research will go into making it safer. I think waiting until your 40 to have kids is silly but having a kid at 34 instead of 24 isn't going to be that big of a deal.

[moya]

I think that it's obvious that whole "have kids before your 30's" rule is several decades old and with the more advanced medical technology of this era it isn't as big of a deal than it was in the 70's or even 10 years ago. It's obvious that if more and more people are having kids later in life, more medical research will go into making it safer. I think waiting until your 40 to have kids is silly but having a kid at 34 instead of 24 isn't going to be that big of a deal.

Not really. From those kids around me who were born to old mothers... One is kinda slow, one was born with one underdeveloped kidney so he wont be able to do sports, one more or less dont have one earbolt so will have go for ps asap (my older sisters little girlie), one got bad eyes and will have to undergone surgery asap, one was born too early and in very complicated way so he left his mother disabled and dying slowly. And nobody seems to genuinely love this poor little boy because whats happening to his mom.

 

You cant treat diseases like these in mothers womb. Yeah, we have safer surgeries and process of giving birth, but when the kid doesnt develop well during pregnancy you cant repair it that easily. Not even nowadays. Basically we made it safer for mother but than there is more and more kids coming to this world with health problems.

 

Imo first kid in late 20s is best option in modern world tbh.

[Suzy Quatro]

This study doesn't prove anything and I think it's more of a problem people having kids when they're older. When our generation turns old it's expected that there are going to be a lot more of old people and the young ones are the ones who would have to sustain all those people who aren't going to be working.

 

In any case I still believe this stuff is more related to genes, I've seen a couple of girls having kids as teenagers aging pretty freaking good. I know this girl that is around my age and she super pretty and hot, but her mother looks so much better than her and almost as young it's hard to believe.