The reversing association between advanced maternal age and child cognitive ability: evidence from three UK birth cohorts.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Studies on advanced maternal age-defined here as age 35 or older-and children's cognitive ability report mixed evidence. Previous studies have not analysed how the time period considered in existing studies influences the association.

Methods

We analysed trends in the association between maternal age and cognitive ability using data from the 1958 National Child Development Study ( n  = 10 969), the 1970 British Cohort Study ( n  = 9362) and the 2000-2002 Millennium Cohort Study ( n  = 11 600). The dependent variable measures cognitive ability at age 10/11 years. Cognitive scores were standardised to a mean of zero and a standard deviation of one.

Results

For the 1958-70 cohort studies, maternal ages 35 -39 were negatively associated with children's cognitiv

SUBMITTER: Goisis A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5837600 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature