There appears to be yet another reason to wait to have children later in life. A new study published by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine found women who gave birth after they turned 33 years old lived longer than those who birthed their last child at 29 years old. The claim appears fool-proof but it may have left out some important factors, therefore it is advised to understand the subtle reasons for this link before choosing to have a child later in life.
The researchers conducted the study to observe the association between the maternal age of women at the time of the last child’s birth and their likelihood to survive to an advanced age. What they found was women who gave birth to their last child after the age of 33 had twice the odds to live until a ripe old age than the women who did not give birth after the age of 29.
While this may encourage more women to prolong the choice of increasing their family until a later date, the study was limited to the association of two factors (birth age and longevity) and did not include other possible aspects. There could be other reasons why the women who waited to have a child lived longer than those who chose to complete their family before age 29.
One obvious reason (among other reasons) may be the mental resiliency of the 462 women used in the study. Women who are aware of their inner strengths and perpetuate a will to survive in extreme cases or environments have the potential to live a longer life as compared to women who are mentally unstable. The strong-willed women may not perceive bearing children after the age of 33 as a health concern. Thus, the positive attitude of women who bear children after 33 years old can be one of the various reasons for the association of living to an advanced age.
