More Women having their First Child after the Age of 35

A recent study shows that more women may be having children later in life, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Center for Health Statistics. In fact, findings showed that the number of women 35 and older having their first child has increased by more than nine times.

"This is good news," said Philip Cohen, a sociologist at the University of Maryland, via The Wall Street Journal. "They are more protected against the shock of earnings loss, and they're probably more independent and better-established in their relationships."

Researchers specifically looked at data from 1973 to 2012, which revealed that women between the ages of 35 and 39 increased the rate of first time births by six times, from 1.7 to 10.9 women per 1,000.

All ethnicities and races experienced an increase in first birth rates among older women, with non-Hispanic white women between the ages of 40 and 49 increasing by 130 percent between the ages of 1990 and 2012. For non-Hispanic black women, this rate increased by 171 percent during that time frame, also. In terms of regions, the rate of first time 35 and up increased the most in the District of Columbia, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina and Washington State.

As having children later in life can open up room for other career opportunities, there are certain health risks for the mother and the child.

"While most women do very well and have healthy children there definitely are some risks that are higher at 35 and above, which is what we typically call 'advanced maternal age,'" said Dr. Joanne Stone, director of maternal fetal medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, via CBS News.  

The study did not determine what factors are responsible for these increased rates.