Women Having Babies Later in Life Live Longer: Study

A new study says a pregnancy late in life boosts lifespan.

Researchers at Boston University, highlight the association between older maternal age at birth of last child and an exceptional longevity. Women having children after the age of 33 have a greater chance of surviving to a ripe old age. This finding is based on analysis of the data retrieved from Long Life Family Study.

The study included data of 311 women who survived up to 95 years of age. They were compared with 151 women who died at younger ages and were identified as controls. The researchers observed all 461 women and learnt that there was a strong association of longevity with old maternal age.

They observed that women who had their last child beyond the age of 33 were twice more likely to survive up to 95 years or older when compare to the control group who had had their last child by age of 29. Also women who had their last child between the ages of 33-37 had an odd ratio of 2.08 and for older women it was 1.92.

Several studies conducted earlier have also highlighted this relation. Recently, a study based on the analysis of the New England Centenarian Study found that women who gave birth after the age of 40 had four times greater odds of being a centenarian.

"According to the authors, the fact that numerous studies have documented the same relationship between older maternal age at birth and exceptional survival provides evidence for sustained reproductive fitness, with age as a selective force for genetic variants conducive to longer life. While this documented relationship is noteworthy, what is more meaningful is that these findings support the need to conduct additional studies that identify the various genetic influences on reproductive fitness, as these could also influence the rate of aging and a woman's susceptibility to age-related diseases," says NAMS Executive Director Margery Gass, MD.

The study was documented in the journal Menopause.