Taking care of grandkids once a week helps grannies stay sharp

Researchers have claimed that taking care of grandkids one day a week helps keep grandmothers mentally sharp.

The study from the Women's Healthy Aging Project study in Australia also found that taking care of grandchildren five days a week or more had some negative effects on tests of mental sharpness.

NAMS Executive Director Margery Gass, MD said that they know that older women who are socially engaged have better cognitive function and a lower risk of developing dementia later, but too much of a good thing just might be bad.

The 186 Australian women, ages 57 to 68, took three different tests of mental sharpness and also noted whether they thought their own children had been particularly demanding of them in the last year.

Among the 120 grandmothers, those who spent one day a week taking care of grandchildren performed best on two of the three tests. But those taking care of grandchildren for five or more days a week did significantly worse on one of the tests, which assesses working memory and mental processing speed.

The study has been published online in journal Menopause.