Children born into smaller families
live three years longer
New York: Children born into
smaller families in the world's poorest nations live three years longer than
those born into larger families, says a study.
In families that are considered small
(four or fewer children), the children have a life expectancy that is three
years longer than the children in larger families (five or more children) even
controlling for infant mortality, the study revealed.
"Our new research shows that being
born into a small family has health benefits that last throughout the course of
your entire life," said Saifuddin Ahmed, associate professor at Johns
Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health in the US.
The study showed that while family
planning programmes have sometimes been pitched as ways to moderate population
growth and minimize pressure on resource-strapped nations, they have real
health impacts on individuals, the researchers said.
Small family size, primarily achieved
through the use of contraception, reduces the competition of siblings for both
the attention and micronutrients provided by the mother, and also allows the
family's often-limited financial resources to be spread farther, the findings
showed.
When births are spread out and mothers
can provide more time to each child before the next one is born, it results in
better cognitive development and health status while growing up, the
researchers said.
Each child competes with the next for
the parents' income, food and housing and having fewer children gives everyone
a larger slice of the pie providing a positive healthy developmental
environment that reduces mortality in the short-and long-term, the researchers
added.
The findings are based on the results of the most recent
national Demographic and Health Surveys from 35 developing countries and will
be presented at the International Conference on Family Planning in Nusa Dua,
Indonesia.
Source: www.zeenews.india.com
29.01.2016
Keep
your fears to yourself but share your courage with others
Robert Louis Stevenson
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