Research Reveals The Best Age To Have A Baby If You Want A Smart Kid
Maybe they'll be a real brainiac.
Andrii Drachuk / Shutterstock We already know that waiting to have kids comes with its fair share of perks. Aside from getting to enjoy your prepregnancy body for a while longer, there are also some scientifically proven benefits, such as memory loss prevention and a longer lifespan.
Now there's another reason that further solidifies why delaying pregnancy is the way to go.
Researchers at the London School of Economics looked at data from the Millenium Cohort Study and found that older moms, specifically those in their 30s, are more likely to give birth to intelligent children than those who have kids at a younger age.
Now, that shouldn't be the entire deciding factor as to when you have a child, but it is something to consider.
The study, which looked at 18,000 British children and the impact of their mother's age at their birth, discovered that children of 30-something mothers outperformed the offspring of 20- or 40-something moms on cognitive tests.
Their reading, thinking, and remembering skills were tested when they were 10 or 11 years old.
The reasoning for these findings appears to lie in the fact that women who delay pregnancy typically do so because they chose to establish a career rather than bear a child in their 20s.
As a result, 30-something mamas are able to provide their tots with more resources and attention because they are already settled in their jobs, the research suggests.
This makes total sense since younger moms might not have the resources that older moms do, simply because of their age and how long they've been in the workforce.
While being older does provide a sense of wisdom, it also provides the financial stability to support a child.
Though the research was originally published back in 2015, its findings are making their rounds on the internet again, with many 30-something moms-to-be excited about the prognosis.
The analysis also demonstrated how delaying birth to ages 40 or older can be associated with a heightened risk of obesity.
Of course, you shouldn't wait till you're 40 simply because the health risk to your child and yourself is too great. Your baby could be at risk of high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, birth defects, low birth weight, ectopic pregnancy, and more.
It's safe to say you shouldn't wait too long. But if you breeze through your 20s and still don't have a child you still have time.
This is all the more reason to shoot for that sweet spot of your 30s for your first pregnancy.
You might not have the next Einstein, but you certainly will have one brainy kid and hopefully the means to support them.
Victoria Messina is a pop culture and relationship writer. She has been featured in PopSugar, MSN, Yahoo, and more. Follow her on Twitter.