Advanced age and pregnancy It's never too late to start your family!

Becoming pregnant after the age of 35 puts women into a category that is a growing trend. The pregnancy rate for mothers over 35 is significantly rising. For some reason, researchers and medical professionals have chosen 35 to be the magical age for classifying a woman as "advanced maternal age".

Risks

Pregnancy at any age does not come risk free. After the age of 35, there are additional concerns that need to be kept in mind during pregnancy. Most mothers feel that the risks associated with becoming pregnant after age 35 are secondary to the benefits of starting a family of their own.

As a woman's age increases, her chances of conceiving decrease. However, once a woman has become pregnant, the risks of carrying a child with a birth defect are higher. For instance, the odds of having a child with Down Syndrome at age 20 is 1 in 10,000, about 1 in 1,000 for the 35-year old mother and approximately 1 in 100 for 40-year old mothers. Every woman is born with a certain number of eggs and as the woman gets older, so do her eggs. The mother's eggs have been exposed to more x-rays, illnesses, drugs, etc throughout the years. However, both the woman's eggs and the father's sperm can be responsible for any birth defects that the child is born with.

Down Syndrome and other birth defects can be diagnosed during pregnancy through prenatal testing. Diagnostic testing is routine in mothers over the age of 35 and should an abnormality be discovered, the parents must decide whether to proceed with the pregnancy. Doctors, genetic counselors, pediatricians, maternal-fetal specialists and other medical professionals are available to help with this tough, life-changing decision.

Older mothers also have a higher chance of developing pregnancy-related complications. Women that are 35 and over are more likely to develop high blood pressure, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The chances of suffering a miscarriage, preterm labor or postpartum hemorrhage increase as age increases as well. Although nothing can be ruled out for anyone, regardless of age, women that are in overall good health and receive regular prenatal care are less likely to experience these conditions.

Benefits

Although there are risks associated with becoming pregnant after the age of 35, there are also benefits. Medical science has come along way and the risks associated with advanced maternal age are lower and less complicated than they once were. Technology allows for easier testing and earlier diagnosis of potential birth defects.

Older mothers have improved the odds for themselves when it comes to lowering these risks. Because of the increased risks of complications, mothers of advanced age are usually more likely to eat healthy, exercise throughout pregnancy and receive early, quality prenatal care. When a pregnant mother makes an effort to minimize or eliminate the odds of conceiving a child with birth defects, she can take years off of her pregnancy profile. Due to this, an older woman can have just as good of a chance of delivering a healthy baby as a younger mother.

More than half of older mothers have college degrees and are career-oriented. Generally, women of advanced maternal age have met their educational and career goals, making them financially secure. Older mothers have usually been settled in their lives, relationship and have a certain stability that younger mothers may not have had the chance to accomplish. It has been theorized that the mothers of advanced age make great parents because of their stability and maturity. Because older mothers have had time to themselves, they are less likely to feel bogged down with the daily demands of raising a child. Studies have shown that mothers with advanced age were more likely to demonstrate patience and other qualities that were beneficial to the development of a young child.

Complications and Concerns

There are risks and concerns associated with advanced maternal age. Of course, not all expectant women will experience complications during their pregnancy. Prenatal tests and screenings can diagnose complications early so that you and your caregiver can make informed choices early in the pregnancy. Although all pregnant women are capable of developing complications during pregnancy, the following list shows the possible complications that mothers over the age of 35 are more likely to face.

• Down Syndrome
• Decreased fetility
• Twins or multiples
• High blood pressure
• Gestational diabetes
• Arthritis
• Preterm labor
• Miscarriage
• Placental abruption
• Placenta previa
• Low-birthweight baby
• Higher caesarean rate
• Higher chance of maternal death
• Stillbirth
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Birth defects

Advanced Paternal Age

Alongside with advanced maternal age, there are slight risks associated when the father of the conceived child is older. In the past, it was believed that the father of a baby was limited to fertilization. However, recent studies have shown that father's of advanced age are more likely to have abnormalities in their sperm that produce a child with birth defects, like Down Syndrome. Once a man is of advanced age, his sperm have had greater exposure to environmental hazards and may contain altered or damaged genes. Men also work in occupations that expose them to higher environmental hazards and stress levels. In recent studies, 25% of Down syndrome cases can be traced to the father.

Women who are over the age of 35 are considered to be of advanced maternal age. However, it seems that men are labeled advanced paternal age when they reach 40. At this time there is no universally accepted age to determine advanced paternal age, but 40 is the age that genetic counselors base their information on. Because older men are generally married to older women, it is often hard to determine which parent is responsible for contributing an altered gene or chromosome. A woman that conceives a child with a man of advanced age, has a slightly higher chance of experiencing a miscarriage.

The question of whether or not birth defects can be linked to advanced paternal age remains mainly unanswered. Researchers do think there is a connection, but the connection is slight. Genetic counselors and obstetricans can offer advice and further testing if there is any concern regarding complications due to advanced paternal age.



Comments: Advanced age and pregnancy

Comments 1 to 24 of about 1042.
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mama40 - 2 days ago.
My doctor also is kind of relaxed about advanced age. I had to aks him if he planned any testing and he said - well, you'll have second level ultrasound and blood tests. And I said, it is not enough for me, I need to know early - how about CVS? And he was like - well, if this is what you want... I have a feeling that he would never mentioned that such test even existed. So doctors are very different. Some start to fret about women getting pegnant after 30, and some are perfectly ok with moms 40 and over. When I was young, it was believed that women should have their first baby no later than 25 years. Now it is 35. We are making progress.

startingoverat37 - 3 days ago.
I am going to be 38 next Wed the 14th. My daughter was born 7 weeks ago. My other children are 12, 13 and 16. I have heard the arguments of why all the testing should be done- as mama40 stated to know ahead of time. My doctor said the only thing he felt was important for me was a very large panel of blood work done at 5 months to make sure my body was not fighting off the baby (as we had lost our daughter 4 years previous at 20 weeks) He did not feel all these test were nessasary. He said He delivers so many babies and he sees the same amount of issues regardless of age. I do not like this 'advanced age' stuff! I am a spring chicken with more wisdom than I did at 20. I am a better Mom to little Miss Erin I am sure as I know whats important for her and whats just not important. I have a 13 yr brother and 18 yr old sister. My Mom is 60. She says she is tired but she knows shes better Mom to them then to us first 3. I think shes tired because my 18 yr old sister has mental issues and has just had a baby. Its exhausting for me to be around her at times. Teens have so much drama too. As manyof us know from our older children. I would not worry so much over all the testing. Unless you would truly end the pregnancy! Good luck!

TNMom - 3 days ago.
I'm 35 (I'll be 36 when the baby is born) and loving my dr. She doesn't make a big deal out of everything. She offered me the quad test, but was fine with me turning it down. God's in control of this pregnancy and I would never terminate anyway. There are too many stories of false positives and complications with all these extra tests. I have no intention of putting my baby or me through that. I'll do standard blood tests and ultrasounds, but that's it. Speaking of, only about 6 weeks til I (hopefully) find out what I'm having!!!

suthrnrazdrose - 3 days ago.
Hello. I am 32. I know that 35 is considered the starting age for 'advance age' pregnancy, but I cant help but be concerned anyway. My doctor was telling me of all the increased chances of things and ... wow... . You know, my son will be 11 and I feel like I am doing this for the first time. I feel like I am paranoid over every little thing. I was too young the first time to be scared. It was just an adventure. But I want this baby soooo badly. I would be devastated if anything negative happened. I try to focus on the positive. I am early on. I think I will calm down a little after i reach 2nd trimester. Would be happy to chat with other moms / expecting moms...

mama40 - 3 days ago.
I know a very sad story from the ages before genetci testing. My parents' friends had their baby (both were young, by teh way) and it had some issues with slow development. Only around 2 or something years what it became very clear that the baby has a problems, they started trying to figure outr what is wrong. Finally, it appeared that kid had some genetic problem which made him unable to make some aminoacid or metabolize it (I don't remember which one - was long time ago). But the thing is that the kid would develop and grow normally if his diet was corrected from teh very start. And when they discover that it was too late. So they ended up with a disabled child. But they had no choice since no genetic testing was offered or even existed. You ahve an opportunity to be prepared. And I agree, if you are so sure that in hard case you will be able to make lifelong commitment, and if it is ok with you to bring into this world a person who will have many problems and probably suffer a lot, and if you are sure you will never dump him into some institution because all of a sudden you want you life back - you can always ask the doctor do not tell you result unless there some interventions or preparations that can be done.

Angiepangie - 3 days ago.
springtime, even if you have no intention of ending the pregnancy, regardless of the outcome (which I totally understand), Its pretty important to have at least some of the non-invasive diagnostic tests done. I say this because in the rare event that there any issue with your baby, its very helpful to know this prior to the birth. For instance, (since you mentioned DS), DS babies sometimes have heart function problems, and to know this prior to birth, and to have the staff at your birth prepared to treat your baby and the diagnostic tools at hand for immediate assessment is essential to the good health of your baby. If you have no prenatal tests at all, and your (seemingly perfect) baby starts to have some sort of distress after birth, you've left the medical staff scrambling to discover the problem, possibly putting your newborn through much more invasive proceedures than you would of had to undergo during pregnancy to diagnose that same problem. I said no to any invasive tests as well, but (specifically) a 20 week anatomical ultrasound scan can be absolutely invaluable... not just for the people who will be there when you bring your baby into the world, but for your baby as well. You can always tell your doctor you do not wish to know about any issues unless they affect your treatment during pregnancy. Hope this helps.

springtime - 3 days ago.
We decided against the amino because we will have this baby even if it has DS. We don't need to be prepared. I have a friend whose daughter is DS and this girl is the greatest. I know myself and if I knew ahead of time, I would fret and worry like crazy. We are doing the first trimster screening only to find out that all organs and body parts are where they should be and we have considered cancelling this appointment for the thought of false positives which I know are high. I plan on talking to the doctor to let her know that we don't want to know the results of the DS testing.

firsttimemommysf - 4 days ago.
My two cents re: amnio-- it makes me really sad that people are SO fatalistic about the whole thing. Have to admit that reading all of the posts on here sometimes make me more nervous than I want to be; and this was one of the ways I got freaked out several months ago until I actually had amnio done. The odds of miscarriage are very very low and the answers are definitive. I would want to know to prepare for a special needs baby, you don't have to get it done if you are only considering abortion. I did it a few months back and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. IT IS NOT A BIG DEAL. I worry that getting so worked up over a test that's pretty routine might set us up to be overprotective parents.. and that's not good either. It's done often, and if your Dr. has lots of experience with it it's like getting blood drawn. No biggie.

tucsongurl68 - 4 days ago.
hi all.. im 39 and due with my third 8/6 ..its been 13 years since my last one was born... i considered the amnio..2 times i discussed it with my doc and both times he said 'the only reason to do it is if youd consider an abortion'...i disagree and told him so..i think if you decide to do it you could be preparing for complications with the baby...maybe given the results you might decide on a different doctor...a different setting for birth...many things...but when it was all said and done i decided not to have it done..i had the bloodtest and had a sonogram and evertthing looks fine..so i didnt want to tempt miscarriage based on that...

vikki - 6 days ago.
springtime- yes I have had this.I would recommend that you don't put TOO much stock into the results. Mine always came back fine but I had a friend that they came back 'not good' and they insisted that she had more invasive tests and they came back also 'NOT GOOD' and they were pressuring her to 'do something about it'. Well she fought them and had a PERFECTLY HEALTHY little girl. I think these days it's more for the benifit of the Doc's than us.They feel better somehow. It's non invasive but remember to not be to worried about it. Good luck and congrats on your pregnancy!

springtime - 6 days ago.
My doctor has us scheduled for the first trimester screening, which involves an ultrasound that looks at the babies neck folds. Has anyone done this?

AngiS - 6 days ago.
Hi - I didn't know that this forum existed, but I definitely qualify! I'm 39 and pregnant with my second child (a boy), who is due 6/3 although I'm having my c-section on 5/27. I just wanted to let everyone know that I made the decision to have an amnio done for both of my pregnancies because I'm the kind of person who just has to know (either way). I did not do any other testing because of the high false-positives of some of the tests. Both times were not very painful at all and my specialist told me that the miscarriage rate that is given presently is from the 1970s (1-in-200) and the new rates that are going to be published soon are actually close to 1-in-1800 that you'll miscarry. Didn't know if that info would help anyone, but wanted to post it just in case. Good luck to all!

riknlee - 9 days ago.
To all who are worrying about an amnio, thinking it will be painful - I would sooner have an amnio than having my blood taken. it didn't hurt a bit - the CVS is another story - that one was uncomfortable. If you are going to get either, go to someone who has lots of qualifications. If you trust them, it puts you at ease. Good luck

mama40 - 10 days ago.
Yes, decision on testing really depends on your life views and your character. I am the person who needs to know for sure, and I am also very prone to worrying and imagining the worst. That is why I knew that all those screening tests were not for me, as well as the option of not having any tests. I choose CVS. It gave me peace of mind for the rest of the pregnnancy. Otherwise i woudl kept worrying and torture myself all the time instead of relaxing and enjoying my pregnancy. I know that no tests can pick up all problems, but the fact that I don't have major and more frequent ones is very comforting. Still I know people who didn't have any tests being of advanced age and have perfect babies. So don't let doctors scare and push you - it is for you only to decide.

vikki - 10 days ago.
snoogy- I SO AGREE!

snoogy - 11 days ago.
A lot of discussion around testing for any possible imperfections - although I haven't met a downs person who isn't perfect. Anyway, my cousin had her daughter at 40 - she had amnio - hurt like hell but everything was fine. I'm 38 and we talked to our doctor about it and came to this conclusion....even if we did and the test showed that there was something - we wouldn't change anything anyway....we'd still have our child and love him/her unconditionally so why bother. (just my thoughts)

mama40 - 11 days ago.
I'm 32 weeks already. Yesterday I went with my teenage girls and my hubby to see the Cirque du Soleil, that came in our town. I loved the show, but I'd enjoyed it even more if not for the back pain that grew worse as I sit there. I kept shifting position on the chair but with little relief. I had twins last time, but was so much younger, and I don't remember any back problems. Also the baby gor exited from all this loud music and clapping around and started kicking and jumping inside. But still, i thought that at my age I would feel much worse by that time. Maybe it is my tai chi training that helps me to endure all this. Still two months to go, but I am much more optmistic now that at the beginning of this pregnancy.

fdstripled - 11 days ago.
I will be 41 in july, my husband is 55. This is our 3rd pregnancy and his first child. I am 5 weeks and praying for a good outcome.

riknlee - 11 days ago.
to all of you who are worried about the AFP test. you can have it done, It may pick something up but I agree it is unreliable. I knew of a lady who had 1 in 1750 chance of having a ds baby. She went on to have a ds baby. It can work the opposite way and give you false reassurance. At least we have choice

gr8scottswife - 12 days ago.
Doctors love tests because it's more money for them. Just remember that about any test, procedure, or medication that suggest. They're getting rich off your sentimental state of mind. Most things in life can be fixed with the proper nutrition and supplements.

mom2B3 - 12 days ago.
Hello Everyone, I'm new to this site also and just found that this area fits me well too. I'm 37 and expecting our 3rd child. We just finished our first u/s. Everything is great! Although the Dr. did mention downs testing, I'm not sure I want to do it. On the other hand my husband is pushing me to have the nuchal test done. It would make no difference what the results are we intend to NOT terminate the pregnancy. Any advice out there???

socalgal - 14 days ago.
Sissy36-just want to point out that the AFP test has a 90% false positive rate. That's why its a load of B.S.in my opinion and I have never had one. That is also why it is called a 'screening test' meaning it is NOT diagnostic at all. All it tells a doctor is that he or she may want to do further testing of these people and no further testing of those people. I wish more women realized all the drawbacks of this test. In my opinion all it does is stress women out and is pretty much worthless.

vikki - 15 days ago.
sissy36- Just wanted to tell you about a freind of mine. She had the test 3TIMES and they all came back that her little one was SERVERLY downs and she was presured by all medic's to terminate and her partner left her when she refused! Didn't want anything to do with a less than perfect child! WELL little Ruby was born PERFECT!!!!!!!!! So sweet and bright! DON'T do the test is my advice. I always refuse. What's the point? To stress and worry and have pressure brought to bare when your supposed to be RELAXING?! Do yourself and your family a favour and don't do it. Besides, your going to love this little one so much regardless right! Good luck and prayers to you:-) Hugs

vikki - 15 days ago.
Hi all you AMA's!!!! Just updated my page:-) Have a good day!

shocked - 16 days ago.
sissy36, I did not have two different results (this time) because I declined the AFP from past experience. It is a seriously flawed test that is often false-positive. My 2nd pregnancy came back with higher than normal odds of d/s and all it did was make me worry the rest of the pregnancy. I did not have an amnio as I was not taking any chances and would never terminate a pregnancy. My daughter is not only normal, she's funny and super smart (yea, I'm her Mom what am I going to say?). The nuchal t.s. is a much more accurate screening that they didn't even do 8 years ago when I was pregnant with my 2nd. I also have a friend that was told through AFP that her child would definitely have something wrong with him and they advised her to terminate - he is now an active, totally normal 8 year old boy! I advise all my friends to skip the AFP. Particularly if the nurse told you the same thing, relax (I know from experience that it's easier said than done! Congratulations on your pregnancy!


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