Offspring of older parents excel at mathematical tasks and demonstrate heightened social abilities.
In a recent study, researchers found that kids born to older mothers tend to excel in math and have better social skills compared to those whose mothers were younger than 30 at the time of their birth. The Federal Institute for Population Research (BIB) in Wiesbaden revealed this interesting fact on Thursday. The study aimed to understand the connection between late motherhood and a child's development.
Kids of moms aged 30 or older performed average to above-average in math, while those with younger moms recorded below-average test results. Similarly, in terms of social-emotional behavior, the differences between the two groups were less pronounced, but the older moms' children generally exhibited better competencies. Mathias Huebener from BIB explained the connection between child development and maternal age. "Children benefit immensely from not having teenage or barely twenty-something mothers during their birth," he mentioned.
Fellow researcher Susanne Schmid from the University of Oldenburg noted that a child's development primarily relies on the nurturing environment they experience during their formative years at home.
The team explored several possibilities behind their findings. Delayed motherhood usually coincides with lower educational attainment and income levels of the parents. If mothers give birth later, they can first accomplish higher education and gather professional experience, creating a nurturing atmosphere for their child. Income, education, and marital status are essential factors contributing to a child's growth.
Another potential reason could be the shared activities between the mother and child. Additionally, the maternal well-being and health behavior during pregnancy can carry considerable weight.
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Mothers who are older than 30 at the time of birth often encourage their children to engage in study materials related to Mathematics, contribuding to their above-average performance in the subject. The study conducted by the Federal Institute for Population Research (BIB) also revealed that the mothers' age significantly influences the children's social abilities, resulting in better competencies in this area among children of older mothers.
