 |
 |
 |
|
|
|||
|
|
||||
|
||||
Re: pregnancy and delivery risks of middle-aged womenFrom: Kelly (anonymous@obgyn.net)Tue, 15 Apr 1997 18:27:20 -0500 (CDT)
At Mon, 14 Apr 1997, Ameerah wrote: > >Besides chromosomal abnormalitiies, what are the main risks that a woman >35+ goes through during her pregnancy and delivery--especially if the >pregnancy has no complications? Ameerah I would hardly consider 35 "middle aged" (I did when I was 20, but now that I'm 36, I think it's still pretty darn young ;-) ). However, there are some l things women over 35 need to think about when considering pregnancy. First, it may be harder to get pregnant in the first place. There is increased chance of having a baby with a chromosomal abnormality. At age 30, for example, the risk of having a baby with Down's syndrome is 1:885; at 35 that risk increases to 1:365, at 40 it's 1:109, and by age 45, 1:32. Genetic testing (amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling) is available and should be discussed by your doctor. Miscarriage is also more common the older we get -- and that's true for both mom's age and dad's age. Over half of first trimester miscarriages are due to a chromosomal abnormality. Twinning is more common with both increasing age and number of previous pregnancies. Medical complications like diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure) are more likely; these diseases increase with age in the first place. Pregnancy induced hypertension or preclampsia (toxemia) occurs more often. Problems with the placenta like placenta previa ( the placenta, the afterbirth, covers the cervix) or abruption (the placenta tears away from the uterine wall) happen more. Preterm labor, small for gestational age babies and stillbirths all increase with increasing maternal age. Bigger babies, interestingly, are also more common. BUT... DON'T LET ALL THIS SCARE YOU. If you are over 35 and in good health, you will probably do very well throughout your pregnancy and birth, and will have a wonderful, beautiful child. My mom was 35 and my dad was 42 when I was born and I think I turned out okay!
-- Kelly Shanahan, MD S. Lake Tahoe, CA
|
|
Return to ![[ Women's Health Forum ]](http://www.obgyn.net/images_women/wh-forum.gif)
Report TECHNICAL Problems ONLY to: webmaster@obgyn.net
Last Updated: Mon Nov 2 07:05:02 2009
Women's Insurance Checklist from Auto Insurance Quote
home | medical professionals | women | industry | forums | international