The health and development of children born to older mothers in the United Kingdom: observational study using longitudinal cohort data.
OBJECTIVE
To assess relations between children's health and development and maternal age.


METHODS
Observational study of longitudinal cohorts.


METHODS
Millennium Cohort Study (a random sample of UK children) and the National Evaluation of Sure Start study (a random sample of children in deprived areas in England), 2001 to 2007.


METHODS
31,257 children at age 9 months, 24,781 children at age 3 years, and 22,504 at age 5 years.


METHODS
Childhood unintentional injuries and hospital admissions (aged 9 months, 3 years, and 5 years), immunisations (aged 9 months and 3 years), body mass index, language development, and difficulties with social development (aged 3 and 5 years).


RESULTS
Associations were independent of personal and family characteristics and parity. The risk of children having unintentional injuries requiring medical attention or being admitted to hospital both declined with increasing maternal age. For example, at three years the risk of unintentional injuries declined from 36.6% for mothers aged 20 to 28.6% for mothers aged 40 and hospital admissions declined, respectively, from 27.1% to 21.6%. Immunisation rates at nine months increased with maternal age from 94.6% for mothers aged 20 to 98.1% for mothers aged 40. At three years, immunisation rates reached a maximum, at 81.3% for mothers aged 27, being lower for younger and older mothers. This was linked to rates for the combined measles, mumps, and rubella immunisation because excluding these resulted in no significant relation with maternal age. An increase in overweight children at ages 3 and 5 years associated with increasing maternal age was eliminated once maternal body mass index was included as a covariate. Language development was associated with improvements with increasing maternal age, with scores for children of mothers aged 20 being lower than those of children of mothers aged 40 by 0.21 to 0.22 standard deviations at ages 3 and 4 years. There were fewer social and emotional difficulties associated with increasing maternal age. Children of teenage mothers had more difficulties than children of mothers aged 40 (difference 0.28 SD at age 3 and 0.16 SD at age 5).


CONCLUSIONS
Increasing maternal age was associated with improved health and development for children up to 5 years of age.
Institute of Child Health, University College London, UK.
Alastair G
AG
Sutcliffe
Jacqueline
J
Barnes
Jay
J
Belsky
Julian
J
Gardiner
Edward
E
Melhuish
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007114:Immunization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007223:Infant; D007804:Language Development; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008423:Maternal Age; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012306:Risk; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult