Childbearing

4 papers4 findings

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Against: findings that point the other way from most findings on the same outcome.

On aging: the drug’s trials ARN judged to be about aging, of every trial that tests it for any use.

No results posted: trials that ended more than a year ago with no results on ClinicalTrials.gov and no paper in ARN’s record.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

1 lab in 1 country

Humans3
In silico1

Outcomes

Lifespan

no changein silico1

1 study

Childbearing has no effect on lifespan in silico (d = 0.11, ~1.2% of variance scale).
“With a standardized effect size near zero (d = 0.11) and a survival distribution overlap of 95.6% between groups, the epigenetic signals attributed to childbearing are shown to be practically irrelevant”
In silicoevaluated against the standard deviation of high-longevity populationsfemales
The negligible biological impact of reproductive history on aging: a high-resolution variance analysis
Frontiers in aging20 Jul 2026

Cognitive functioning scores

no changein humans1

1 study

Childbearing has no effect on cognitive functioning scores in humans.
“any births, high parity, and early first birth are associated with worse self-reported memory, but not cognitive functioning scores.”
Humansfemales
Childbearing Histories and Midlife Cognition: Accounting for Early Life Factors
GSA 2025 abstract31 Dec 2025

Memory

downin humans1

1 study

Childbearing impairs memory in humans.
“the only robust differences relate to any births and early first births with self-reported memory.”
Humansfemales
Childbearing Histories and Midlife Cognition: Accounting for Early Life Factors
GSA 2025 abstract31 Dec 2025

Associations

Self-reported memory

mixedin humans1

1 study

Childbearing is associated with self-reported memory in humans.
“In fully adjusted and matched models, the only significant differences relate to memory.”
Humansfully adjusted and matched modelsfemales
CHILDBEARING STATUS, PARITY, AND COGNITIVE HEALTH AT MIDLIFE: A LONGITUDINAL APPROACH
GSA 2024 abstract31 Dec 2024