Too many babies too close together can shorten a woman's life (click at title to entry)
Women's Health News
Published: Tuesday, 12-Sep-2006
According to researchers women who have their babies very close together, along with women who never have children, are at risk of an earlier death and poorer health in later life.
In a study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, it has been found that mothers who had less than 18 months between births faced up to a 20 per cent higher risk of early death compared with those with longer gaps.
The researchers attribute this to the strains of having to look after a number of young children of a similar age.
The study however also found that childless women had a 20 per cent higher risk of death as they got older when compared with women with two children.
Most at risk appear to be women with five or more children who face between a 12 and 25 per cent higher risk of death than those who had given birth twice....
