Who's surpised?

The Christchurch Health & Development Study says young women (15-21) who have abortions attain higher educational achievements, and show improved outcomes in employment, welfare dependence and relationships. I haven't read the research (and the msm are notorious for spinning an entire article from selectively extracted tidbits) but the reported results don't surprise me. One sentence stands out.

"Women who had abortions had similar outcomes to women who did not become pregnant before the age of 21."

It doesn't mean abortion makes you smart, but simply that childless women make better students/employees than mothers. Anyone astonished, given the enormous costs of parenting? Non-mothers can focus on study/career goals without the distraction of newborns who require enormous amounts of time, effort, attention and MONEY. Broken sleeps, exhaustion, unrelenting drudgery, and 'enslavement' to baby's whims ensure that motherhood's demands are never conducive to study, work (& economic dependence), or romance. Thus it's unsurprising that employment, welfare & relationship conditions are worse for mums than non-mums.

The research merely affirms common sense and observation: if young women wish to achieve well academically or careerwise, they shouldn't get pregnant. That's what folks (both pro- and anti- abortion) have been saying for years.

It's an ongoing longitudinal study. I wonder if the same cohort will be interviewed again in 20 or 30 years? Wonder how the mums & careerists will feel then, reflecting on their earlier life choices. One thing is certain, and the researchers make clear, that many more studies are needed to address these issues.
Hmm. Don't researchers always say that about their pet topics? :-)