A team of scientists in California in the US say women who give birth when they are older than fifty make just as good parents as younger women. The team also says that older women do not suffer from more stress. The BBC's Asha Tanna reports:

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Researchers at the University of Southern California compared the experiences of one hundred and fifty IVF mothers in their 30s, 40s and 50s. Overall, the results showed that women in their 50s did not find parenting more stressful or physically demanding than women in their 30s and 40s.

These new findings counter views that older women make less suitable mothers, and follow recommendations from the head of the government's fertility watchdog that women in their 50s and 60s should not be barred from having IVF on account of their age. There is no official age limit for IVF in Britain, but the NHS refuses to fund treatment for women over the age of 40.

Asha Tanna, BBC News

Escute as palavras

Researchers
pesquisadores

IVF mothers
mães que passaram pelo processo de fertilização in vitro

Overall
de maneira geral

parenting
criar filhos

physically demanding
fisicamente desgastante

counter views
se opõe às opiniões

fertility watchdog
agência reguladora de clínicas de fertilidade

barred
impedidas

on account of
por causa de

the NHS refuses to fund treatment
O serviço nacional de saúde da Grã-Bretanha não paga o tratamento (NHS - National Health Service)