Mothers in their 50s face ‘traumatising’ child later on

WOMEN who have babies in their 50s could be storing up “trauma” for their children, experts have said.

Children may not cope with looking after frail, ageing parents or be able to deal with their early death, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine conference in Denver, Colorado, heard.

Dr Julianne Zweifel, a clinical psychologist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, said: “Surveys show the drive to be a mother is so strong, they don’t think about the problems their child will face until after the birth.

“The studies suggest it is traumatic for a child to lose a parent at a young age. Also, the emotional impact of being a care-giver to an ageing adult can be devastating. If you are a teenager, you are not prepared to deal with that anguish or responsibility.”

According to the Office for National Statistics, women aged 45-49 had 705 babies in 2001, rising to 2,048 in 2016. The 50-54-year-olds had 53 babies in 2001, rising to 218 in 2016.

Those aged 55 and over had two babies in 2001, rising to 20 in 2016.

Dr Julia Woodward, director of psychological services at the Duke Fertility Centre in North Carolina, said: “What is it like going through menopause with a pre-schooler? What is it like for that child, who is having to alter and delay their own life plans.”

♦ Men who drink just two cups of coffee a day could double their chances of becoming a father, a study of 500 couples by the National Institutes of Health in the US has found.