Final Childbearing Age Could Indicate Longevity

Women who have healthy children after the age of 33 are more likely to live longer than younger parents, according to a recent study.

The study published in Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society, details how late childbirth can be an indicator of longevity in women.

"Of course this does not mean women should wait to have children at older ages in order to improve their own chances of living longer," said corresponding author Thomas Perls in a statement. That's not really how it works.

"The age at last childbirth can be a rate of aging indicator," he explained. "The natural ability to have a child at an older age likely indicates that a woman's reproductive system is aging slowly, and therefore so is the rest of her body."

The researchers determined this after analyzing data on 462 women who had been part of the Long Life Family Study - a long-term observational study that collected genetic data on 551 families that boasted members who lived to exceptionally old ages.

The 462 women had all already had their last child by the time of the data analysis, having reached menopause. These women were observed until the end of their lives, allowing the researchers to compare longevity of each mother.

Interestingly, the analysis showed that women who had their last child after the age of 33 were nearly twice as likely to live to the ripe-old-age of 95 years, compared to women who had their last child by the time they reached the age of 29.

The researchers also tied this data to the theory that women naturally carry the genetic variant that helps longevity.

"This possibility may be a clue as to why 85 percent of women live to 100 or more years while only 15 percent of men do," said Perls.

Still, it is important to note that many factors must be taken into account for longevity, aside from genes. Stress, for one, is a huge factor in determining the rate at which a person's body ages. Particularly young mothers may understandably lead verystressful lives, especially if they do not feel prepared to raise a child.

It is also important to note that most health professionals do not recommend that women wait too long to bare children, as it becomes more common for the children of aging mothers to develop health complications.

The study was published in Menopause on June 23.