Women with Children Have Lower Blood Pressure

There are numerous studies showing that children notch up mothers’ stress level because of the need for unyielding attention, nursing and care. But a new study finds that on the whole parents who have children register lower blood pressure than those who chose to remain childless.

Women are especially susceptible to this influence; they show a lower level by 12 points in systolic pressure and 7 points in diastolic pressure.

These results are explained by children giving a higher social esteem and a feeling of having a purposeful life. Lead researcher Julianne Holt-Lunstad accentuates that despite the worrisome routine that having children entails, the “sense of meaning and purpose” win out in the end making people feel more satisfied.

The study appeared in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/CynTurek.