How your pregnancy age can affect your health in later life

A study has revealed that the age at which a woman is first pregnant can affect her health when she's 40. So what really is the healthiest time for us to have a baby?

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There are often many debates on when is the perfect time to have a child. One is how having children at a younger age - as opposed to having them in your 20s and 30s - will affect your health in later life.

A study, conducted by researchers at the Ohio State University, observed a group of 3,348 first-time pregnant women from the ages of 15 to 35, to try to find the answer to this.

The study divided up the mums-to-be into three age brackets - 14-19, 20-24 and 25-35. The mums then rated their own health at aged 40 on a scale of 'poor' to 'excellent'.

The results

According to the research, women who were pregnant with their first child in the 25-35 age bracket reported much better health than the two younger age groups.

So, maybe waiting really is the best option?

The lead author of the study, Kristi Williams, said:

"Ours is the first US study to find that having your first child in young adulthood is associated with worse self-assessed health decades later for white and black women, when compared to those who wait until they are over 24."

She went on to say:

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"We still need to be concerned that women who are having births in their early 20s may face more health challenges as they reach middle age than those who wait longer."

Researchers also questioned if marriage makes a difference in overall health. The study found that pregnant women who married reported experiencing better health than single mums.

This may be one of the reasons why those in the 25-35 bracket were healthier than the other groups, as they may be more likely to have been married.

Right age to have a baby?

Lots of users in the Coffeehouse have been discussing when they think is the best age to have a baby. Many seem to think that they waited too long before having their first child.

While others think that waiting just that little bit longer is the answer:

"So I had my daughter when I was 27, I'm now 28 and she is 5 months old ... however I can't shake the idea that I waited too long, I have an obsession that I wish I was a younger mum as I love being a mum and want to live to see her grow and also have more children."

Another user said:

"I had my first at 32 and 2nd at 34 and I felt that was the right time for me. Wouldn't have been ready before that."

What do you think about these results?

Do you think it's better to wait a little longer before starting a family, or should it just be when the time is right?