They might be harder to catch – and no doubt leave their mothers more exhausted – but children born to mums over 40 are healthier and brighter than those of younger women.

　　The offspring of older women are less likely to have accidents or need hospital care and more likely to have been vaccinated early, a study found.

　　They will also develop a broader vocabulary from a young age and achieve higher scores in IQ tests in a range of measures up to the age of five.

　　The research, to be presented today at The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health conference in Glasgow, is a rare piece of good news for the rising number of women who are delaying motherhood.

　　Previous studies have highlighted the growing infertility rates for older women and the greater risk of them developing diabetes and pre-eclampsia.

　　But the latest research appears to show gains for older mothers once they have given birth, possibly due to their greater experience and maturity.

　　The number of mothers who gave birth over the age of 40 increased from 15,000 in 2000 to 27,000 in 2010.

　　Researchers at the Institute of Child Health, University College London and Birkbeck College, London, said their findings showed older mothers can make better parents.

　　Dr Alastair Sutcliffe, who worked on the study, said negative publicity surrounding the rise of older mothers was based on the physical risks of pregnancy and childbirth.

　　He said: ‘We have clear evidence that there are more desirable outcomes for children of older mothers compared with younger ages. We can reassure these older women that their children are probably better off.’

　　The Wellcome Foundation-funded study looked at 1,100 children born to women aged 40 and over, compared with 38,000 children born to younger women in Britain. The children’s ages ranged from nine months to five years.

　　The research also checked a number of outcomes linked to parenting skills, including naming vocabulary, picture and shapes identification and developmental IQ using established British assessment scales. The findings showed greater ability among children born to older mothers once social class was taken into account.

　　也许他们更难被怀上，无疑也会让他们的母亲更加精疲力竭，但是年过40的女性生出的小孩比年轻女性生出的小孩更健康、更聪明。

　　一项研究发现，晚育女性的小孩出事故或需要医院护理的可能性更低，早早打疫苗的可能性更高。

　　而且，他们从小掌握的词汇量会更大，在五岁前参加的智商测试中各项指标的分数也更高。

　　该研究今日在格拉斯哥举行的皇家医学院儿科和儿童健康会议上展示。如今推迟生育的女性越来越多，对她们来说这可是个难得的好消息。

　　先前的研究突出显示，年龄较大的女性不孕症发生率更高，她们患糖尿病和先兆子痫的风险也更大。

　　然而最新研究似乎表明，年长母亲生孩子是益处多多，这可能是因为她们经历更丰富、更成熟。

　　在英国，40岁后生孩子的母亲数量从2000年的1.5万增加到2010年的2.7万。

　　英国儿童健康研究所、伦敦大学学院和伯克贝克学院的研究人员称，他们的发现表明，晚育女性会成为更好的母亲。

　　从事这一研究的阿拉斯泰尔 苏特克里夫医生说，伴随高龄母亲增多而来的负面宣传是以怀孕和分娩的身体风险为根据的。

　　他说：“我们有清晰的证据表明，高龄母亲生出的小孩比年轻母亲生出的小孩有更多优势。我们可以让晚育女性放心，她们的小孩很有可能更优秀。”

　　由维康基金会出资赞助的这一研究观察了英国1100个年过40女性生出的小孩，并把这些小孩和3.8万个年轻女性生出的小孩作比较。小孩的年龄跨度为9个月到五岁。

　　该研究还用公认的英国评估标准考量了一些和父母教育水平相关的指标，包括先前提过的词汇量，还有识别图形能力和发育智商。研究结果显示，如果把社会阶层的因素考虑在内，晚育母亲的小孩能力更强。

　　Vocabulary:

　　pre-eclampsia:先兆子痫

　　以上就是今天的托福阅读材料，大家可以积累其中的高分词汇及句型，并且练习提升阅读速度，迅速找到托福阅读的主题句和出题点。