Child bearing,

In lesser developed countries they tend to have children in their teens when they are physically, but not mentally, at prime childbearing age. The child is then raised by the grandmother who is mentally at prime child raising age.

This seems better than the western custom of waiting until the mother is mentally more mature but less capable physically resulting in miscarriages and infertility on the part of both more mature parents.

Hmm very deep stuff there P-sanuk. Thinking of having a child or just having a go at all things western?

I have many questions and answers concerning the OP's post because his thinking on child bearing and raising are somewhat out of wack , I prefer to leave it at that for the time being , when I maybe have my head in line I will reconsider posting a logical post on this subject matter , it is a deep and thought provoking concern .

The Op's comments regarding child bearing age in the developed world are a generation removed from a time when women had children very young.

Like Dumball, I have grave reservations regarding child raising in Thailand - deserving of more time to post on the matter.

Yea, I imagine (please enter stats here to prove me wrong) that infant mortality rate, miscarriages and fertility rates are no better here than in the west.

At the ripe old ages of 22/25 , my first wife and I decided we had learned enough from other peoples mistakes and experiences to start our own family , then started the long , hard and sometime difficult climb up the ladder of life , you could call it a learning curve , so much to learn with so little time to achieve , but all-in-all , a true blessing to watch and aid each childs progression . Giving birth is not something to be taken lightly , it is a serious task to have the responsibility to rear and nourish another human life so that it can flourish in a meaningfull way , to achieve a successfull life all of its own .

The OP's view could be fairer in addressing the large part that many Grandparents in Western countries play in their grandchildren's lives. My Thai mother-in-law prefers gambling with her friends and that's all there is to it, so she doesn't quite fit in with the OP's hypothosis, my kids ain't got nothing coming.

Even tho this study is out of date, I would have to wonder it the results have actually changed all that much.

http://info.k4health.org/pr/j41/j41chap2_3.shtml

For example, in a retrospective study of nearly 11,000 pregnancies over a 5-year period, outcomes in a hospital in West Bengal, India, varied by age as follows:

Women's Age Maternal Deaths-1,000 Births /Average Birth Weight / Premature Births (%) /Perinatal Deaths-1,000 Births

12 to 19 / 3.80 / 1.9 kg / 20 / 29.6

20 to 30 / 2.55 / 2.5 kg / 16 / 18.4

31+ / 1.07 / 2.65 kg / 11 / 4.3

So, tell me again how great it is to be a young mother in a underdeveloped country again?

Hi OP ...well if you are thinking of getting a young girl to bear your child, I think you should do it. Then give the child to Grandma, because your lady is too young to care for it herself, and then you should go live with Grandma, and make her your mia noi, because your "lady" is too young to be in serious relationship with you, or anyone. Therefore, Grandma can serve more then one purpose, and your life will be great! Just have your lady send you all money from the bar she is working at, or the shoe factory, whatever, and enjoy! You will have an age appropriate mate, and as well an age appropriate mother to care for your child! You can even help! Later, your "girl" can be the mother to your grandchild and get her mothering in then. A great dysfuntional way to plan life the way that some poor people with no choices, decide to do! Hopefully you can share some of your first world knowledge and education with some of your decendents ...if you have that to share.

Even tho this study is out of date, I would have to wonder it the results have actually changed all that much.

http://info.k4health.org/pr/j41/j41chap2_3.shtml

For example, in a retrospective study of nearly 11,000 pregnancies over a 5-year period, outcomes in a hospital in West Bengal, India, varied by age as follows:

Women's Age Maternal Deaths-1,000 Births /Average Birth Weight / Premature Births (%) /Perinatal Deaths-1,000 Births

12 to 19 / 3.80 / 1.9 kg / 20 / 29.6

20 to 30 / 2.55 / 2.5 kg / 16 / 18.4

31+ / 1.07 / 2.65 kg / 11 / 4.3

So, tell me again how great it is to be a young mother in a underdeveloped country again?

Interesting sb BUT what are the rates for babies with problems? downs syndrome and other problems, Interested as my wife is approaching 34 BUT she would like a child at the latest by 37-8, work committments make this impossible at the moment.

Hmmm,

Easy actually. And difficult. I wouldn't have children too early and I wouldn't have them too late. There's AND logic between physical and mental state, both must be fulfilled.

Best mental and physical child bearing age for women are between 25 and 30 for women and between 30 and 35 for men, men a bit older mainly because they generally take a bit longer to mature

Having grand parents helping with the upbringing is great but it must not replace the effort of the parents, then we would be staying with the "protect the child from drowning by making her afraid of water " thinking forever