New study shows that having children could add years to your life

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by Emma Dodds |
Published on

Being a parent could make you live longer, according to researchers in Sweden

There are certain times as a parent where you think your children will literally be the death of you.

You know - like when they have the biggest breakdown of their entire lives on the shop floor of Aldi.

Or when they scream that they hate you more than anything else in the world, they nearly stomp through the stairs and nearly take the doors off the hinges by slamming.

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New study shows that adults with children live longer than those without (Credit: Getty Images) ©Getty Images

But it turns out that if you are a parent, you may live at least two years longer than your childless counterparts.

We know - it sounds crazy. But bear with us...

According to researchers at the Karolinska Institute who are based in Sweden's capital of Stockholm, studies have shown that having children could actually make you live longer.

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Elderly people with children live two years longer than those without (Credit: Getty Images) ©Getty Images

The team at the Karolinska Institute tracked the lifespan of over 1.4 million men and women from the age of 60 born between 1911 and 1925 - totalling 704,481 men and 725,290 women.

Looking through national registry data, they found that those who were parents of at least one child had a lower risk of death than people without children.

By 60-years-old, fathers could expect to live for another 20 years approximately, but those without generally lived another 18 years approximately. And in women, mothers at age 60 generally lived for almost 25 more years, whereas those without lived for another 23.

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Your kids might actually improve your health! (Credit: Getty Images) ©Getty Images

Dr Karin Modig, who led the study, told The Independent: "Children can provide support in navigating the healthcare system, how to take medication, providing emotional support.

"One explanation could be that, especially in these cohorts of old people, it's more likely that the man is older than the woman, so maybe women are more likely to be carers."

So there you have it folks - you'll be grateful you had kids one of these days!

What do you think of this research? Do you think having children makes you a healthier person? Let us know over on Facebook and Twitter.

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