Women seem to be constantly warned against the downsides of leaving it too late to have their baby, but there are upsides too - like a boost to their brain power.

Source: i.telegraph.co.uk

Scientists now say there is an upside to delaying motherhood in that it can boost your brain power in later years.

Women who had their last child after 35 were found to have a sharper memory than those who had their children in their early 20s.

It's been suggested that having a child after 35 could protect the brain from memory loss around the time of the menopause.

It's thought that the hormones that flood the body during pregnancy (oestrogen and progesterone) affect the brain's chemistry and help improve overall cognitive function. The later in life a women experiences this, the better the protective effect is in later years.

Source: i.telegraph.co.uk

The US scientists said in a study that pregnancy timing was related to memory. In the trial, 830 menopausal women did a series of cognitive tests by remembering a series of word lists.

Those who had children at age 35 plus were found to have better recall and cognitive function than those women who had their children at age 24. Having two babies after 35 was also found to be better for the brain than having one.

Lead science author Dr Roksana Karim, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California, said 'While it is not enough to suggest that women wait until 35 years of age to close down their family growth, our findings prove a positive effect on a late pregnancy that is both novel and substantial.'

@mindhunter