New research has found that women who wait until after the age of 25 to have children are 11 percent more likely to survive into their 90s.
According to Medical Xpress, the study, conducted at the University of California San Diego is the first to look at age at first childbirth in relation to longevity.
“We found that women who had their first child at age 25 or older were more likely to live to age 90,” said Aladdin Shadyab, PhD, lead author of the study.
“The findings indicate that women with two to four term pregnancies compared with a single term pregnancy were also more likely to live at least nine decades.”
The study examined 20,000 women, 54 percent of whom survived passed the age of 90.
“Our findings do not suggest that women should delay having a child, as the risk of obstetric complications, including gestational diabetes and hypertension, is higher with older maternal ages. It is possible that surviving a pregnancy at an older age may be an indicator of good overall health, and as a result, a higher likelihood of longevity,” said Shadyab.
“It is also possible that women who were older when they had their first child were of a higher social and economic status, and therefore, were more likely to live longer.”
Interestingly, the study also concluded that the those who lived into their 90s were more likely to be college graduates, married and have a higher income. They were also less likely to be obese or have any chronic disease.
“We hope this is a foundation to help identify targets for future interventions among women in the preconception and family planning phases of their lives, which may improve women’s healthy longevity in the long term,” concluded Shadyab.
