Children Of Older Mothers Are Taller And Do Better In School

haidut

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I think Ray wrote in one of his articles that the children of mothers in their 40s and even 50s has higher IQs and were healthier than children of mothers in the range of 18-25 years of age. I forgot what is the exact reason he attributed it to but I think it had to do with progesterone levels and brain development in these older women. Basically, brain never stops developing and as long as progesterone is high enough to make conception and pregnancy possible being born to an older mother confers intellectual and health benefits to the child.
This study seems to confirm Ray's point even though the authors give another explanation that seems quite far-fetched.

Advanced Maternal Age and Offspring Outcomes: Reproductive Aging and Counterbalancing Period Trends - Barclay - 2016 - Population and Development Review - Wiley Online Library
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160412104810.htm

"...Most previous research suggests that the older women are when they give birth, the greater the health risks are for their children. Childbearing at older ages is understood to increase the risk of negative pregnancy outcomes such as Down syndrome, as well as increase the risk that the children will develop Alzheimer's disease, hypertension, and diabetes later in life. However, despite the risks associated with delaying childbearing, children may also benefit from mothers delaying childbearing to older ages. These are the findings from a new study conducted by Mikko Myrskylä, the director of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR),) and his colleague Kieron Barclay at the London School of Economics, that has been published today in Population and Development Review. Both public health and social conditions have been improving over time in many countries. Previous research on the relationship between maternal age and child outcomes has ignored the importance of these macro-level environmental changes over time. From the perspective of any individual parent, delaying childbearing means having a child with a later birth year. For example, a ten-year difference in maternal age is accompanied by a decade of changes to social and environmental conditions. Taking this perspective, this new MPIDR-study shows that when women delay childbearing to older ages their children are healthier, taller, and more highly educated. It shows that despite the risks associated with childbearing at older ages, which are attributable to aging of the reproductive system, these risks are either counterbalanced, or outweighed, by the positive changes to the environment in the period during which the mother delayed her childbearing."
 
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I personally can't think of anyone I know born to some over-30 who is genuinely pretty... maybe it's all about a young father.
 

Hugh Johnson

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Older parents may simpy be better parents. The data is also from Sweden and has no controls for ethnicity, which in a country like Sweden affects a lot of things. Like when you have kids and how you raise them.
 
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haidut

haidut

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I personally can't think of anyone I know born to some over-30 who is genuinely pretty... maybe it's all about a young father.

More like a healthy father AND mother. I think the ability to have children at older age is a symptom of great health, for both parents. Maybe the larger head of smarter people makes them unattractive? Have you noticed any facial deformities in these people? That would be a bad sign as it is caused by high estrogen.
 
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More like a healthy father AND mother. I think the ability to have children at older age is a symptom of great health, for both parents. Maybe the larger head of smarter people makes them unattractive? Have you noticed any facial deformities in these people? That would be a bad sign as it is caused by high estrogen.

They have bad simmetry, skin and are never speaking with a good strong voice. It is about details, the main structure is of course retained but if David Beckham had a son at 70 he would lose lots of these details.
 

jaguar43

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Ray Peat doesn't think everyone should have a baby later in life. He specifically describes that people who are low-income could have children sooner for the advantageous effects like better metabolic rate when one is young. People who are higher up the social latter can have children later. But Sweden is economical and socially different from the U.S. Less income inequality, free healthcare, free education very good public transportation.
 

jaguar43

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Older parents may simpy be better parents. The data is also from Sweden and has no controls for ethnicity, which in a country like Sweden affects a lot of things. Like when you have kids and how you raise them.

Ray Peat makes that point in nutrition for women. Older women are less likely to live off snacks foods than a younger women, more maturity and actually wants to have children.
 
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haidut

haidut

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Ray Peat doesn't think everyone should have a baby later in life. He specifically describes that people who are low-income could have children sooner for the advantageous effects like better metabolic rate when one is young. People who are higher up the social latter can have children later. But Sweden is economical and socially different from the U.S. Less income inequality, free healthcare, free education very good public transportation.

I did not say Peat suggests having children at older age. It's just that I saw this study and remembered his article on older mothers having smarter babies.
 

Peater Piper

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I personally can't think of anyone I know born to some over-30 who is genuinely pretty... maybe it's all about a young father.
Jerk! Seriously though, I was born to parents in their mid-30's, each in their second marriage. I'm in the worst shape of all the kids. My mom's other son especially, between him and I it's like the movie "Twins." He's tall, very athletic, muscular frame no matter how little he eats, extremely bright and social, and I'm short and frail, introverted and not nearly as intelligent. I was a difficult pregnancy though. My mother was on bed rest for seven months to prevent miscarriage.
 
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I know... it's an uncomfortable truth :ss
 

xiaohua

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In evolutionary terms, I would think younger mothers would be better. Men of all ages seem to have a near-universal preference for young women, and if it weren't for birth control, people would be having kids much, much earlier in life than is the norm in Western countries. Doesn't the risk of Down's (and autism?) increase in correlation with the age of the mother, as well?
 

Hugh Johnson

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In evolutionary terms, I would think younger mothers would be better. Men of all ages seem to have a near-universal preference for young women, and if it weren't for birth control, people would be having kids much, much earlier in life than is the norm in Western countries. Doesn't the risk of Down's (and autism?) increase in correlation with the age of the mother, as well?
But we are not living in a pre-industrial society at the moment.

They have bad simmetry, skin and are never speaking with a good strong voice. It is about details, the main structure is of course retained but if David Beckham had a son at 70 he would lose lots of these details.

Maybe they do well in school because they are lanklet nerds, and have no other source of social status.
 

XPlus

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Responses on this thread sound like we're in some geneticis's forum.
I've seen smart and beautiful children of some old and sick people.

When it comes to aging, there's a fundamental difference between counting the years and measuring the effects of accumulated stress.

As long as the right environment is there, things should be okay.
 
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XPlus

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XPlus

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Geneticist :smug
Not that I know of myself.

I remember when I was in school, we had an older guy who was obsessed with sex.
He was like our sex and relationships guru. Used to tell us weird stories and had his own philosophy. Zen kind of guy.
One time he told us that "happy sex makes good looking people".
We used to laugh at him. Now I think he got it right.

And I believe it applies to all aspects in life. Truly beautiful deeds and creations come from happy people.
Ever noticed that you're more resilient to stress when you're happy.
If you're a cook or an artist, you make your best work when you're happy.
I probably can live for a thousand years on fish oil fried caregeenan burgers if I can be the happiest man alive.
 

dd99

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I personally can't think of anyone I know born to some over-30 who is genuinely pretty... maybe it's all about a young father.
Cheeky bugger! My wife and I had kids in our 30s and we have two beautiful kids, with big blue eyes and curly blonde hair. It had nothing to do with me - all my wife's doing :)
 
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I just don't know very many people I guess :ss and I also used to have beautiful blond hair :nailbiting:
 

thegiantess

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I just don't know very many people I guess :ss and I also used to have beautiful blond hair :nailbiting:

I think that might be the problem. One of the most attractive men I have ever seen in real life was born to folks in their 50s! Well dad was 50.. Mom was mid to late 40s.. I am pretty sure his mother was some sort of perfect metabolic specimen. However she was not conventionally pretty. Ugly people make pretty children quite often.
 

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