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Late childbearing linked to longevity

Having children late may increase the longevity of women and their genetically related family members as well.

Late childbearing linked to longevity

Having children late may increase the longevity of women and their genetically related family members as well.

Research has already shown that women who get pregnant and bear children relatively late, without the help of assisted reproduction technology (ART), live longer after menopause. To explore whether their relatives might live longer too, researchers looked at records for 11,604 male Utah settlers born between 1800 and 1869 and 6,206 men living in Quebec between 1670 and 1750. All of the men had at least one sister who lived to be at least 50 years old.

Among these women, the researchers found, late childbirth indeed conferred longer life. In the sample of 14,123 Utah women, those who had their last child between age 41 and 44 years were six percent less likely to die during any year after 50 years than were women who had children earlier. For those who had babies at 45 years or later, annual mortality risk was 14 per cent lower.

For the Canadian group of 4,666 women, the numbers were similar. Having a child between 42 and 45 years reduced annual mortality by seven percent, and it was 17 per cent lower for women who had a child at 45 years of age or later.

Not only this, the brothers of women who had children late in life also benefited. The largest effect was seen among men who had at least three sisters, and one sister who had a child late in life. Among the Utah settlers, these men had a 20 per cent lower mortality rate; for the Quebec group, mortality was 22 per cent lower.

The above findings suggest that the genes that allow women to continue bearing children relatively late are related to longevity in both sexes.

Further studies are expected to investigate whether late childbirth and longevity are related to life-shortening illnesses like heart disease and cancer.
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