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[en] Duża rodzina skraca życie, twierdzą naukowcy
RAISING a large family can certainly be physically and financially draining. But research suggests that bringing up a large brood is officially bad for a woman's health. A scientific study found that having many children really could be the death of some mothers. It showed that the more children a couple had, the worse the parents' health and the earlier they were likely to die. Researchers found mothers of big families were more than twice as likely as fathers to die within a year of their last child being born.
And in the five years after their last child's birth, women with several children were a third more likely to die than their other halves.
Dustin Penn, who led the study, said the findings could prove why modern women tended to have fewer children.
He believes evolution favours those who have smaller families and unlike in previous generations, women now control their fertility.
Dr Penn and co-researcher Ken Smith examined records relating to the health and fertility rates of 21,000 couples over 125 years.
The couples produced a total of 174,000 children from 1860 to 1985 in family sizes ranging from one child to 14 or more.
The average number of children per family was eight. The data showed the more children a couple produced, the higher their risk of an early death. Mothers fared far worse because of the physical strain of giving birth.
The figures contradict biological studies which argue humans are programmed to produce as many children as possible to continue the species.
The research team, based at Utah University, found that having a large family took its toll on youngsters too.
The larger the family, the more likely children were to die before the age of 18 particularly if they were among the youngest in the family.
They added the results could explain why women do not stay fertile until they die.
Dr Penn said: 'Menopause appears to allow mothers to live longer and rear more offspring to adulthood.
'This unusual life history probably evolved in our species because, as we found, offspring are so extremely dependent on their mother's survival.'
The findings of the Utah study appear to be backed by research at Manchester University earlier this year, which found women who delayed having children lived longer than those who became mothers at an early age.
And in the five years after their last child's birth, women with several children were a third more likely to die than their other halves.
Dustin Penn, who led the study, said the findings could prove why modern women tended to have fewer children.
He believes evolution favours those who have smaller families and unlike in previous generations, women now control their fertility.
Dr Penn and co-researcher Ken Smith examined records relating to the health and fertility rates of 21,000 couples over 125 years.
The couples produced a total of 174,000 children from 1860 to 1985 in family sizes ranging from one child to 14 or more.
The average number of children per family was eight. The data showed the more children a couple produced, the higher their risk of an early death. Mothers fared far worse because of the physical strain of giving birth.
The figures contradict biological studies which argue humans are programmed to produce as many children as possible to continue the species.
The research team, based at Utah University, found that having a large family took its toll on youngsters too.
The larger the family, the more likely children were to die before the age of 18 particularly if they were among the youngest in the family.
They added the results could explain why women do not stay fertile until they die.
Dr Penn said: 'Menopause appears to allow mothers to live longer and rear more offspring to adulthood.
'This unusual life history probably evolved in our species because, as we found, offspring are so extremely dependent on their mother's survival.'
The findings of the Utah study appear to be backed by research at Manchester University earlier this year, which found women who delayed having children lived longer than those who became mothers at an early age.
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