By LAURA CLARK

Last updated at 00:00 29 October 2007

Women who have children later

in life make better mothers,

according to a study.

They are more likely than younger

counterparts to be financially secure

and in stable relationships.

They are also happier to put their jobs

on hold because they have already

achieved many career goals.

Older mothers also tend to enjoy better

health and live longer.

The findings, which appear in a book by

Professor Elizabeth Gregory, will be welcomed

by the growing numbers of women

who are choosing to delay motherhood

until well into their 30s.

The average age at which women in

Britain are giving birth has slowly risen to

29 while there has been a much sharper

increase in the numbers choosing to start

families in their late 30s and early 40s.

More than 22,000 women over 40 had

babies here last year, a quarter of them

for the first time. And ten times as many

women have their first child between 35

and 39 nowadays than in 1975, with 13

times as many between 40 and 44.

The trend is typified by high-profile

mothers such as Jennifer Lopez, who is

pregnant at 38, Halle Berry, who is

expecting at 41 and Desperate Housewives

actress Marcia Cross, who had

twins at 44.

Professor Gregory, who is director of

women's studies at the University of

Houston in Texas, said: "I have found an

overwhelming number and range of reasons

why what I call the 'new later mothers'

are absolutely right to delay motherhood.

"For one thing, they have a stronger family

focus rather than trying to juggle priorities

because they have achieved many of their personal

and career goals.

"They also have more financial power

because new later mothers have established

careers and higher salaries.

And they they have more career experience and

their management skills often translate

directly into managing a household and

advocating for their children."

Not only are they more likely to be married,

they also tend to have a stronger

network of close friends, she added.

Professor John Mirowsky, an expert on

the issue from Texas University in Austin,

believes the prime age for childbearing to

maximise maternal health and longevity

is between 34 and 40.

He said: "While younger women are

more fertile and biologically fit, older

mothers tend to be more mature and less

likely to engage in risky behaviour, and

they are more settled educationally,

financially and emotionally."

The American claims are unlikely to end

the age debate, however.

As well as the possibility of growing infertile, older mothers

are said to face an increased risk of

health complications during pregnancy,

while their babies are more likely to have

conditions such as Down's Syndrome.