Advanced age and pregnancy

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.

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