Giving Birth Early Decreases Lifespan, Giving Birth Later: Secret to Longevity [New Research]

Motherhood changes a woman's body not just by its shape but also inwards. The health of a mother is not the same as when before she has a baby.

Now, several studies show giving birth later could put women at an advantage compared to women who chose to give birth early.

Life Expectancy Minus Two Years

Researchers at Northwestern University, Illinois, previously found that women aged up to 2 years faster with every new birth, Daily Mail UK reported. As the family expands, the woman's life expectancy shortens. Birth found a damaging effect on women at a cellular level.

The cellular age of mothers with many children increased by 1-2 years with each birth. The researchers determined cellular aging via the predictors of mortality-telomere length and epigenetic age.

ALSO READ: 5 Ways to Support Moms After Giving Birth

Is This The Magic Number for Women Giving Birth Later?

On one side, some women choose to stop having children at age 30. Giving birth early is a choice women make as part of social pressure to build a family.

Also, women in their 20s have higher chances of pregnancy and lower risks of gestational diabetes, high blood, and other conditions related to pregnancy, Business Insider reported.

Yet, a study from the Boston University School of Medicine revealed women who gave birth after the age of 33 tended to live a longer life, Time reported. Women who give birth after 33 had higher chances of living to 95 years old and older compared to women who give birth last at age 29.

BU professor Thomas Perls revealed, "it is her natural ability of childbirth at an older age that becomes the indicator of slow aging, not just of the reproductive system but the rest of the body."

New Trend Shows Women Giving Birth Later

Since 2016, the number of women giving birth before 30 years old has declined. Yet, the number of women giving birth later in life over 30 years of age and older has increased.

Research showed that women who had a life expectancy of at least 90 tend to be of a higher income, married, and are college graduates. Those who chose to give birth later in life are also often of higher socio-economic status.

ALSO READ: Mom Battling Breast Cancer Gives Birth to A Healthy Baby Boy

New Research Holds Key to Woman's Longevity

According to the journal of The North American Menopause Society, maternal age links to long-term health. The leukocyte telomere length is longer for women who give birth later in life, Science Daily reported.

Telomere is the DNA protein that protects the ends of chromosomes and is the key to maintaining genomic stability. Telomere length is also a determining factor for a person's tendency to develop chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, certain types of cancer, and neurologic conditions.

A study of 1,200 peri-menopausal and postmenopausal women conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey included socio-demographic factors like ethnicity and different backgrounds.

However, there are restrictions on the new findings. Women who gave birth over 30 tend to have a longer telomere length only if she had one or two live births at that age.