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Too many is too bad
GIVING BIRTH to and raising several sons could be bad for the long-term health of mothers, but having girls may help increase their longevity, says a study. Scientists suspect that having big families shortens a parent's lifespan, because reproduction and childcare can take their toll on health.
According to research in Science, sons could be especially costly for the mother because they are, on average, born heavier and place more physical stresses on the body. They also raise levels of testosterone in their mothers' bodies, which can age the immune system, making it less able to defend the body. Daughters prolong mothers' lives by helping in tasks such as obtaining food and rearing younger siblings, at least in the traditional society studied.
The finding comes from Samuli Helle, of the University of Turku, Finland, Dr. Virpi Lummaa, of Cambridge University's Department of Zoology, and Dr. Jukka Jokela, of the University of Oulu. "The effect was most clear among women who had many sons instead of girls," said Helle.Mothers who raised many sons had the shortest lifespans, with each son reducing the lifespan by an average of 34 weeks." Daughters raised a mother's life expectancy by an average of 23 weeks.
The rate of drug abuse among the teenagers surveyed rose to about 32 per cent if either factor was present without the other. If neither was present, 42.3 per cent of the teenagers used drugs.
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