Research suggests mothers of a certain age produce more intelligent children

According to recent research from the London School of Economics, the age at which you become a mother can play a significant role in your child's health and intelligence levels.

Findings, which were obtained during the Millennium Cohort Study, established that children who were born to mothers in their thirties achieved higher cognitive scores than children whose mothers were in their twenties or forties at the time of their birth.

The study, which tracked the development of 18,000 children in the UK, also offered an insight into certain dynamics which exist between mothers and their children, with research indicating that mothers in their forties were less likely to play with their children while those children were more likely to suffer from obesity.

Commenting on the findings, researcher, Alice Goisis, explained: "First-time mothers in their thirties are, for example, likely to be more educated, have higher incomes, are more likely to be in stable relationships, have healthier lifestyles, seek prenatal care earlier and have planned their pregnancies."

Researchers leading the study did, however, acknowledge that further examination is required into the matter as the number of mothers over the age of 40 included in the study stood at just 53.

The children analysed over the course of the study were five-years-old.