Having a child may shorten a woman’s life by as much as 11 years, a study claims. Researchers from George Mason University in the US found that women who have given birth have shorter telomeres compared to women who have not given birth. The length of telomeres has been associated with morbidity and mortality previously, but this is the first study to examine links with having children, researchers said. The study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, found that telomeres among women who had children were the equivalent of 11 years shorter. “We can’t tell if having children is related to shortening of telomeres or merely whether women who have children start out with shorter telomeres,” said Anna Z Pollack, from George Mason University.

Source: Hindustan Times March 12, 2018 04:07 UTC