This is the best age to have children, according to science

But according to a study from this year, this delay in the age to conceive could be beneficial for women, even on a biological level.

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What is the best age to have children?

The fertility of both men and women decreases progressively as age advances, so it might seem that the best age to have children is at an early age. It is for this same reason that it seems logical, and so doctors advise, that women do not get pregnant beyond the age of 35.

The same figure applies to men, whose sperm quality declines significantly from that age and several studies ensure that the chances of the baby being born with problems also increase.

Despite the logic of the biological clock and health warnings, in our society the age at which the first child is born is increasingly delayed. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), the average age for having the first child was 32 years old in our country last year.

But does it look as bad as it seems? According to a study published in the Journal of Public Health, women who have had their first child in their 30s have a higher life expectancy than those who have had it at 20, so that would be the best age to have children.

Study Revelations

This study analyzed the correlation between different data related to maternity from different countries of the European Union over nine years. These were the average age of women when they had their first child, the average age when they gave birth, the number of adolescent mothers, and their life expectancy.

Looking at the results, it was found that women who had their first child at an older age had a longer life expectancy, suggesting that Currently the ideal age to have children is around 30 years old.

In another research of the same type carried out in 2014, they were able to verify in the same way that women who had their child after 33 were longer lived than those who did so before 30. Similarly, they found that women who had had them at 40 were more likely to reach 100 years.

What would explain it?

Both in one study and the other, both environmental and sociological variables have a great influence on these results, making it difficult to determine a precise age to have the first child regardless of the social context. Various factors such as social status and lifestyle are also determining factors and would explain these results.

The truth is that early pregnancies do not seem to fit the lifestyle of our current societies. Having a child before the age of 20, which might seem the ideal age biologically speaking, is more likely to interrupt or hamper educational achievement or promising careers, and you are more likely to end up in a situation of disadvantage.

Twenty-something women today are still progressing in their careers and most have not reached the sufficient stability that could allow them to worry about raising a child. The different types of relationships that exist today and the delay in stabilizing with a partner also contribute to the age at which they feel secure enough to have a child is delayed.

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Therefore, having a child before 30 today seems to add worry and stress to already unstable situations, which can easily lead to health problems or difficulties financial At that age, on the other hand, the woman has already been able to achieve professional goals and can find herself in a financial situation stable enough to consider having a first child.

Towards a late motherhood

Thus, the best age to have children according to our biological clock is clearly out of sync with what has been the best age sociologically speaking. Or at least it was until now.

Another hypothesis that researchers are considering is the existence of a gene related to longevity, which would make it possible to reproduce at later ages, so the ideal biological age at which to have a child she could be running late in the same way.

Likewise, technological advances in the field of reproduction allow us to overcome the different biological barriers, which allow healthy and problem-free pregnancies at ages where it once seemed impossible.

So, can we stop worrying about our biological clock and choose to pursue our life aspirations without fear that it is too late? Everything indicates that it is possible.