Sunday, June 25, 2006
Gee, ya think?!
Key to long life may be mom's age at birth
Children born to women younger than 25 live longer, researchers report
Updated: 6:48 p.m. ET June 23, 2006
NEW YORK - People are more likely to see their 100th birthday, research hints, if they were born to young mothers.
The age at which a mother gives birth has a major impact on how long her child will live, two researchers from the University of Chicago's Center on Aging told the Chicago Actuarial Association meeting this spring.
In a previous study, the husband and wife research team of Gavrilov and Gavrilova identified birth order as a possible predictor of an exceptionally long life. They observed that first-born children, especially daughters, are much more likely to live to age 100.
But their latest research suggests that it is the young age of the mother, rather than birth order, which is significant to longevity.
Using U.S. Census data, the Social Security Administration database, and genealogical records, Gavrilov and Gavrilova identified 198 centenarians born in the U.S. from 1890 to 1893. They reconstructed the family histories of these individuals to try to identify possible predictors of longevity.
They found that while being born to a young mother was an important predictor of reaching 100, other factors seem to help someone live an exceptionally long life. These include growing up in the Western part of the U.S., spending part of one's childhood on a farm, and being born first.
"Centenarians represent the fastest growing age group in industrialized countries, yet factors predicting exceptional longevity and its time trends remain to be fully understood," Gavrilov and Gavrilova note.
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And yet since second-wave feminism women are encouraged to postpone childbearing later and later! and our culture still sees ‘young mothers” as somehow less ‘sophisticated’ at the least!
What is interesting is that all these things change over time – like breastfeeding practices. What was once thought very unsophisticated and wealthy people shunned, is now not only more popular but the health benefits are so conclusive that a recent report I read suggested warnings like on cigarettes for baby formula! In the end nature usually knows best and “culture” screw it up! The less you mess with mother nature, usually the best! our cultural beliefs however are as hard to change as it is for some Africans to stop circumcising women... despite the health warnings. We look at that as so bizarre – some of our accepted practices are just as crazy.
And why is it that is perfectly OK to criticize young mothers as incapable, selfish etc...”babies having babies”...and not OK to say anything aloud about 40 year (and older!) women having babies! what a screwed up country! withhold birth control and abortion access...tell young people to “just say no” AS IF – and then punish them and take away their kids of they have an “accident.” so screwed up!!!
I cannot help wonder how much of this BS anyone really believes and how much is just to keep the adoption assembly line running...
Children born to women younger than 25 live longer, researchers report
Updated: 6:48 p.m. ET June 23, 2006
NEW YORK - People are more likely to see their 100th birthday, research hints, if they were born to young mothers.
The age at which a mother gives birth has a major impact on how long her child will live, two researchers from the University of Chicago's Center on Aging told the Chicago Actuarial Association meeting this spring.
In a previous study, the husband and wife research team of Gavrilov and Gavrilova identified birth order as a possible predictor of an exceptionally long life. They observed that first-born children, especially daughters, are much more likely to live to age 100.
But their latest research suggests that it is the young age of the mother, rather than birth order, which is significant to longevity.
Using U.S. Census data, the Social Security Administration database, and genealogical records, Gavrilov and Gavrilova identified 198 centenarians born in the U.S. from 1890 to 1893. They reconstructed the family histories of these individuals to try to identify possible predictors of longevity.
They found that while being born to a young mother was an important predictor of reaching 100, other factors seem to help someone live an exceptionally long life. These include growing up in the Western part of the U.S., spending part of one's childhood on a farm, and being born first.
"Centenarians represent the fastest growing age group in industrialized countries, yet factors predicting exceptional longevity and its time trends remain to be fully understood," Gavrilov and Gavrilova note.
-----------------------
And yet since second-wave feminism women are encouraged to postpone childbearing later and later! and our culture still sees ‘young mothers” as somehow less ‘sophisticated’ at the least!
What is interesting is that all these things change over time – like breastfeeding practices. What was once thought very unsophisticated and wealthy people shunned, is now not only more popular but the health benefits are so conclusive that a recent report I read suggested warnings like on cigarettes for baby formula! In the end nature usually knows best and “culture” screw it up! The less you mess with mother nature, usually the best! our cultural beliefs however are as hard to change as it is for some Africans to stop circumcising women... despite the health warnings. We look at that as so bizarre – some of our accepted practices are just as crazy.
And why is it that is perfectly OK to criticize young mothers as incapable, selfish etc...”babies having babies”...and not OK to say anything aloud about 40 year (and older!) women having babies! what a screwed up country! withhold birth control and abortion access...tell young people to “just say no” AS IF – and then punish them and take away their kids of they have an “accident.” so screwed up!!!
I cannot help wonder how much of this BS anyone really believes and how much is just to keep the adoption assembly line running...
# posted by Senior Mom @ 7:55 AM 
