Becoming a parent is one of the most amazing events that can occur in life. Research has shown that having children can actually protect women against certain health conditions while at the same time increasing the odds of developing others.
Check out these four conditions that may be affected by having children.
1. Breast Cancer: Because your period stops during pregnancy, and reducing your exposure to estrogen and progesterone, studies show that women who have had five or more little ones, cut their risk of breast cancer in half compared to women who have never given birth. An additional bonus—breastfeeding also helps keep breast cancer risk low.
2. Ovarian Cancer: Similar to breast cancer, the more children you have, the lower your chances are for developing ovarian cancer. Additionally, oral contraceptives and breastfeeding can help to keep ovarian cancer at bay.
3. Endometrial cancer: Again, just like breast and ovarian cancers, endometrial cancer risk decreases with more pregnancies as a result in lower hormone exposure due to fewer cycles. Additionally, to help decrease the risk of endometrial cancer, watch your diet and exercise habits and keep weight in check.
4. Dementia and Alzheimer’s: In a preliminary study presented at the 2018 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, women who had three or more children showed a 12% lower risk of having dementia. In terms of Alzheimer’s, the more months that you were pregnant, the more your risk for Alzheimer’s decreases. Adversely miscarriages increased dementia risk.
So, next time the little darlings are causing mass chaos in the home, give them all a hug and just say, “thank you” because they are, without knowing it, potentially keeping you healthy!
