Give birth to live longer… Is it that simple?

While you were raising your children, how many times did you think that the stress would send you to an early grave? A lot? Well, science has disproven that theory as a new study has identified a correlation between giving birth and longevity.

A study by a Boston University School of Medicine research team, published in the journal Menopause: The Journal of the North American Menopause Society has found that having children, the age at which you first give birth and your life span are all inextricably linked.

IFLScience reports that between 1970 and 2006, the number of women who were age over 35 when giving birth to their first child increased almost by 80 times. We all know there are societal and cultural reasons for an increase in motherhood age, but the science has agreed.

The study lead by Tomas Perls, found that women who have children later in life are more likely to live to be 95 years and older.

Partnering with the Long Life Family Study which helped to determine that specific genetic variants help to determine someone’s longevity. It found that certain genes have variants that regulate the effects of ageing and can be activated by certain actions.

If a women has these variants, she is likely to not only live longer but also have reproductive capability for longer and has increased chances of passing down these genes to the next generation.

There is an exception to the rule, as women with four or more children were not found to have the same correlation between childbirth and longevity as women with three or less children. This could suggest that these variants can be activated as well as deactivated with specific actions.

So we want to know, how old were you when you had your first child? How old was your mother when she had her first child? Tell us in the comments below…