Bengaluru: Latest research on pregnancy after the age of 30 points to having children with more intelligence, debunking beliefs and scare of late age pregnancy.

The latest study by the London School of Economics (LSE) talks about infants born to mothers in their late 30s being more intelligent and successful.

“The recent research is contrary to that in the 1970s, which said just the opposite. In the two earlier studies, children born to mothers aged 25 to 29 had the highest cognitive ability, researchers had then said. But the latest study appears to show gains for older mothers once they have given birth, possibly due to their greater experience and maturity,” says Dr Uma Basu, of Newham Hospital in the UK.

“First-time mothers in their 30s are, for example, likely to be more educated, have higher incomes, are more likely to be in stable relationships, have healthier lifestyles, seek prenatal care earlier and have planned their pregnancies,” according to LSE researcher Alice Goisis.

“Our research is the first to look at how the cognitive abilities of children born to older mothers have changed over time and what might be responsible for this shift,” said Alice who heads the research team.

Older mothers were less likely to smoke, more likely to breastfeed and more likely to read to their children, she says.

“The reasons cited are pretty obvious. Women who have delayed pregnancy are generally pursuing their career, climbing up the professional ladder or educating themselves. So, when they choose pregnancy, they are a little more settled in their professional life. Older mothers appear to have good parenting skills, they may be less impulsive, calmer and have more life experience that better equips them for the role,” says Uma.

Dr Alastair Sutcliffe, who worked on the study, said negative publicity surrounding the rise of older mothers was based on the physical risks of pregnancy and childbirth.

“Earlier, late 30s was when women had their second or third child. But now, when mothers have their first, it is more likely that they are able to devote more time to them, engage more with them mentally,” says Sayoni Das, researcher and bio technologist.

Dr Mukut Bhowmik, who works in Saathi, is not completely convinced about the applicability of the research, though he does not refute it. “Indian mothers are more involved, as opposed to the western counterparts, I believe. And researches such as these keep coming in every few years. So, can’t take them as the ultimate.”