Pregnant 14-Year-Old Says Having a Child Is the Newest Fashion Among Teens

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by James

AKA_Monet,

From a biological standpoint, when is a human girl's body most primed to have kids?

It wasn't directed toward me, but I was interested in finding out, so here you go:
http://www.dummies.com/WileyCDA/Dumm...e/id-1858.html

Calculating your fertility odds at different ages
For women, optimum fertility occurs when you're about 18 years old. It stays pretty constant in the early part of your 20s and then begins a gradual downward turn. By the time you turn 35, the process has accelerated. When you hit 40, the slide becomes even more dramatic; 33 percent of women over 35 have some difficulty getting pregnant, and 66 percent of women over 40 have infertility issues.

Men have it a little easier (don't they always?). Their peak fertility generally remains constant throughout their 30s. It does begin to decline over time, but at a slower pace than their female counterparts. Recent studies, however, do show a rise in chromosomal abnormalities in men over 35, and by age 50, most men show a 33 percent decrease in thenumber of sperm produced. So although their problems may be less obvious when it comes to conceiving, the effects of age may play a significant role down the road.

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/...cle1930092.ece
The "biologically optimal" time for childbearing is 20 to 35.