Steady relationships linked to healthier babies

On the other hand women, who conceive at the onset of a relationship deliver unhealthy babies and expose themselves to pregnancies fraught with problems.

Researchers from Auckland University in New Zealand conducted a study to ascertain the benefits of long term relationships on the health of the babies conceived. They questioned 2,507 first time pregnant women about the duration of the relationship with the baby's biological father.

Factors like lifestyle, background of the women, weight, general health, smoking habits, were taken into account. However, women who were unable to identify the father of the child were excluded from the research.

Observations by investigators
Researchers found that women who were faithful to their partners and had slept exclusively with them for at least six months had fewer undersized babies and a lower rate of pre-eclampsia-- pregnancy induced high blood pressure, as opposed to women who had been in a sexual relationship for less than six months.

Pre-eclampsia, a potentially life threatening condition, was found to be more common in young mothers, first-time mothers, and those who were having their first baby with a new partner.

In addition, the scientists discovered that women who do not wait to start a family give birth to babies that are small for the gestational age. The odds of children suffering from problems in the womb and having a stunted growth at birth are much higher in kids conceived at the start of relationship.

Steady relationship strengthens immunity
The experts believe the disparity could be attributed to the mother’s extended exposure to the biological father’s sperm in a long term relationship, which helps in boosting her immune system.

Lead author of the research Dr Larry Chamley, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Auckland, explained, that "in normal pregnancies - prolonged exposure of the female immune system to paternal antigens following intercourse (without barrier contraception) [could induce] tolerance of the maternal immune system to the paternal antigens.

But the exaggerated maternal inflammatory response in pre-eclampsia is due to a failure of the maternal immune system to down-regulate or tolerate its response to paternal antigens."

He further said, "Although the issue of whether prolonged semen exposure does protect against developing pre-eclampsia is not yet resolved, this paper seems to tip the weight of evidence back in favor of suggesting that prolonged semen exposure is protective."

The results of the study are published in the Journal of Reproductive Immunology.