Contrary to popular belief that boys are easier to raise, research coming out of the US reveals having sons could be affecting our brain power.
Researchers say raising a son seems to age your brain quicker.
The study of more than 13,000 over 50s in the US found parents with at least one son experienced swifter cognitive decline, compared with those without one.
The effect got worse with each son added to the family.
The researchers did not investigate what was to blame for the effect.
Adopting a son didn’t offset the decline either – results, published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, accounted for all children had by those taking part, regardless of biological, adopted or step relations.
Study lead Katrin Wolfova and her team suggested it may be because daughters are more likely to look after parents later in life, keeping them healthier as they age.
The team, from Charles University in Prague and Columbia University in New York, found the speed of mental deterioration was similar for fathers and mothers.
This study used 18 years worth of intelligence tests that had people taking part in the study solve maths problems and remember lists of words.
Parents of boys were not any smarter or dumber than parents of girls at the start of the study.
In the journal, Researcher Wolfova wrote the results suggest effects are social rather than biological, as they observed similar trends in mothers as well as fathers.
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