Family | Did You Know

Science Says Children Of Older Mothers Have It Better

<div><p>Having children at a later age can carry several risks to both parent and child, but a new study suggests that there's also a lot of benefits.</p><p>A recent study in Denmark found that children of older mothers had a lot of unexpected benefits. They found some benefits extended to the mother as well.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/oldermom-huffpo.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/oldermom-huffpo_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/oldermom-huffpo_GH_content_650px.jpg 650w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/oldermom-huffpo_GH_content_750px.jpg 750w, https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/oldermom-huffpo_GH_content_850px.jpg 850w" sizes="89vw" title="Older Mom" alt="Older Mom" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>Huffington Post</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>The study looked at nearly 5,000 Danish mothers and their children. Checking in when the children were 7,11 and 15-years-old respectively. They found, among other things, that children with older mothers had less behavioral problems and that older mothers themselves disciplined less.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>The age of older moms wasn't defined in this study, but is normally defined as over 35.</p><p>The researchers also found that the older moms were happier during and right after pregnancy, had more stability and were financially better off. This leads to a more stable upbringing for the child.</p><div><figure><amp-img src="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/oldermombook-empowher-1.jpg" srcset="https://www.shared.com/content/images/2017/03/oldermombook-empowher-1_GH_content_550px.jpg 550w" sizes="89vw" title="Mom and book" alt="Mom and book" height="9" width="16" layout="responsive"></amp-img><figcaption class="op-vertical-center"><cite>EmpowHer</cite></figcaption></figure></div><p>A separate study from the London School of Economics showed that children of mothers over the age of 35 tend to be smarter than children born to younger mothers. They said this is due partly to the mother's education level, career placement and they are less likely to smoke while pregnant.</p><p><!-- [invalid-shortcode] --></p><p>While waiting is a great choice for some mothers, it's not without risk. The Danish study notes that older mothers are at risk of greater complications like miscarriage, premature birth, and having children with deformities.</p></div>

Related Articles