The age at which couples are having children has risen considerably over the last few decades in the UK. Although there are increased risks of pregnancy and birth problems as mothers reach their mid-30s, there is now also evidence that starting a family at a later age has its benefits, not least for the children.
In a recent study carried out a Leicester University, a research team of psychologists uncovered some very interesting findings. They set out to discover if children born to parents in their late '30s and '40s had significant differences compared to children born to younger parents.
They found that in the first group, children had surprisingly better understanding of language and a larger vocabulary at any given age. The children also scored higher on IQ tests. The researchers concluded that the children benefited from their parents' emotional and intellectual maturity .
The age at which couples are having children has risen considerably over the last few decades in the UK. Although there are increased risks of pregnancy and birth problems as mothers reach their mid-30s, there is now also evidence that starting a family at a later age has its benefits, not least for the children.
