'Older mothers may live longer'

Women who put off having children or wait longer between having each baby may live longer than those who become mothers at a young age, researchers said today.

A study tracked four generations of more than 5,000 Finns born during the 18th and 19th centuries - at a time before assisted conception, when it was unusual for women to give birth in their thirties.

They found a genetic " tradeoff ", with natural selection appearing to sacrifice long life in favour of reproductive success. They also found that while older mothers may pass on longevity genes, equally strong selection favouring earlier reproduction could counterbalance this.