Which career first?: Economic perspective on later pregnancy is positive

doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7520.846-d

BMJ 2005;331:846 (8 October), doi:10.1136/bmj.331.7520.846-d

Letter

Which career first?

Economic perspective on later pregnancy is positive

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—The concept that fertility wanes with increasingage is not new.¹ We do not need research to show that in vitrofertilisation and obstetric complications cost the NHS morethan unassisted, uncomplicated pregnancies.

However, to say that a rise in maternal age in itself may beexpensive begs the question "for whom?" Women who spend longerin education and then climb a competitive career ladder arelikely to have higher lifetime earnings, pay more in tax, makefewer demands on the welfare state, and enjoy better healththan those who leave school and start their families earlier.

From society's economic standpoint—the perspective ofUnited Kingdom plc—later pregnancies, which the authorsaccept may pose little absolute risk to the mother, may be agood thing.

Timothy D Heymann, honorary senior lecturer in health management

Takana Business School, Imperial College London, London t.heymann@imperial.ac.uk

Competing interests: None declared.