Having four or more grandchildren cuts life expectancy for women under 65
HAVING four or more grandchildren cuts life expectancy for women under 65, a study shows.
It could be down to the extra demands put on their finances and time, the researchers think.
Grandmothers with four or more grandkids might not live as long[/caption]But widowed grans were found to tend to live longer than women without grandchildren.
This is thought to be because the focus on children buffers negative consequences caused by the loss of a spouse.
And having grandchildren generally enriched lives, the German research team found.
Research also shows widowed grans tend to live longer[/caption]Most read in Health News
Their findings come from analysis of data over 22 years from 27,463 over-51s in the US.
The researchers wrote: “On the one hand, grandparenthood may be positively related to survival, as it could be a marker of intrinsic biological robustness.
“On the other, it may be harmful for maternal survivorship.”