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Is there a link between early fatherhood and premature death?
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A new study of brothers suggests that young men who become fathers before or in their early 20s may have increased risk of dying in their late 40s and early 50s. - photo by Lois M Collins
Young men who become fathers before age 25 have a higher risk of dying in midlife, compared to men who father their first child later. That's according to a study by Finnish researchers published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

The study found that "men who have a child before the age of 22 have a very clear higher midlife mortality than men who have children later, at an average age of 25 to 26," lead author Elina Einio, a postdoctoral researcher in the Population Research Unit at the University of Helsinki, told Reuters.

By midlife, they meant men dying in their late 40s or early 50s.

Wrote Laura Geggel for LiveScience, "In the large Finnish study, researchers found that men who had their first child by age 22 were 26 percent more likely to die in middle age, compared with men who fathered their first child at age 25 or 26.

"For men who became fathers slightly later, between ages 22 and 24, the risk of dying in middle age was 14 percent higher than that of men who fathered their first child at age 25 or 26."

The study background material noted that earlier research has shown "young fatherhood is associated with higher later-life mortality. It is unclear whether the association is credible, in the sense that mortality and young fatherhood appear to be associated because both are determined by family-related environmental, socioeconomic and genetic characteristics."

To try to narrow that down, the researchers studied brothers who presumably share many factors, including some of the genetic, cultural and socioeconomic traits. They looked at brother pairs where one first fathered a child before 25 and the other after that age. In all, they collected information on more than 30,000 men born in the 1940s and 1950s in Finland who were fathers by age 45, then tracked what happened to them to age 54.

Fifteen percent became fathers by age 22, 29 percent between 22 and 24 and 18 percent between 25 and 26. The others became fathers at older ages. About 5 percent of the fathers died by age 54, but the ones who became fathers later had the lowest mortality risk.

When they looked at what happened to the men using 1,124 of their brothers as a control group, the researchers wrote that "the findings of our study suggest that the association between young fatherhood and midlife mortality is likely to be causal."

The study didn't look at possible reasons for the higher midlife death risk, but Einio theorized that unplanned pregnancy, early marriage and psychological and economic stress related to being a father could be part of the reason.

"The findings of our study provide evidence of a need to support young fathers struggling with the demands of family life in order to promote good health behaviors and future health," Einio said.

In an interview with MedicalResearch.com, Einio commented on other research, which has looked primarily at young motherhood. "Parenting at a young age can be challenging, and it is important that clinicians recognize that it is not only the young mothers, but also the young fathers that may need support," she said.

The age at which a woman has a first child has been looked at in various ways, with some of the findings well publicized. For example, the National Center for Biotechnology Information said research has shown that young motherhood is associated with less risk of breast cancer than for a woman who gives birth over age 35.

Not everyone agrees with the Finnish research team's theories on cause. Kevin McConway, a statistics professor at Open University, told The Mirror, "That's plausible. But these fathers grew up in Finland during and soon after the Second World War. Social conditions in, say, Britain now are very much different from their experience. We just don't know whether the findings would be the same for young men nowadays, in Finland or anywhere else."
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How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
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A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
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