Article: Big families are GOOD for the heart

(painting source unknown)

I adore the title of this article found in Britain's Mail Online. And the subject matter contains some good news for mothers!

Sadly, the Mail's website is also loaded with inappropriate images on different topics. :-(

So! I am posting most of the article here on the OFM blog, though you can read the entire article here. (Though you've been warned!)

Big families are GOOD for the heart: Four or more babies cuts risk of mother suffering cardiac disease by Claire Bates

Having a big family is good for a mother's heart, say scientists.

They found women who experience four or more pregnancies are less likely to die from cardiovascular disease than those who never have a baby.

The study of nearly 1,300 post-menopausal women from south California found the key effect was prevention of stroke. Mothers of large families were half as likely to die from the condition.

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego, said higher levels of pregnancy hormones may have lasting benefits on the blood vessels.

They added that women with more children may benefit from greater social support as a result when they get older.

Lead author Marni Jacobs, wrote in the journal Fertility and Sterility said: 'Women in this study had less CVD mortality risk if they had more than four pregnancies.'

'The mechanism by which this decreased risk occurs is unknown, however, it may reflect higher fertility in healthier women, the effect of prolonged exposure to higher levels of circulating oestrogen... or the added social support from a larger family.'