Parenthood is the secret to longer life

Jeremy Laurance Author Biography

Jeremy Laurance

Jeremy Laurance is a writer on health issues. He is former health editor of The Independent and the i and has covered the specialism for more than 20 years. He thinks the harm medicine does is under-appreciated, the harm it prevents over-rated, and that cycling works better than most drugs. He was named Specialist Journalist of the Year in the 2011 British Press Awards.

More articles from this journalist

Wednesday 05 December 2012

Becoming parents lengthens people's lives as it makes them behave more responsibly, take fewer risks and follow healthier lifestyles, a study suggests.

The study of 21,000 couples treated at IVF clinics in Denmark found the death rate from cancer, heart disease and accidents was four times higher among childless women than among those who had children.

Among men, death rates were twice as high among those who did not become parents. The findings are published in the Journal of Epidemiology.

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