Having A Baby Later In Life

Although there are health risks associated with having a baby after the age of 35, more and more women are choosing to do so. The majority of babies born to older mothers are perfectly healthy but there are some steps you need to take to ensure your safety. Your physician can guide your through the risks and benefits of having a baby later in life.

Most pregnancies for women over the age of 35 are as normal as those for younger women. It is important to take a prenatal vitamin and receive regular medical care from a well-qualified obstetrician. You are more likely to develop some common pregnancy complications. Gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and placenta previa are more likely to occur but can be treated and well-managed if caught early.

The chances of having a miscarriage during the first trimester are greatly increased if you get pregnant after the age of 35. While mothers under the age of 30 have a 1 in 100 chance of having a miscarriage, women over 35 increase those odds to 1.39 in 100 pregnancies. If you are healthy going into the pregnancy, listen to your doctor's advice and take your prenatal vitamins as directed, you can decrease those odds.

Chromosomal birth defects are more likely to occur in babies born to a woman over the age of 35. However, the risk is still small with only 1 in 400 births affected with Down Syndrome, the most common of these abnormalities. The odds of having a baby with any age-related chromosomal abnormality is 1 in 200 for women 35 years of age.

A variety of non-invasive testing is available for prenatal screening. Consulting a genetic counselor can help you determine which tests you should have. Prenatal screening programs that only require a blood sample are becoming more accurate in detecting genetic abnormalities. Non-genetic problems such as preeclampsia and gestational diabetes are also easy to check. If your doctor suggests that you undergo an amniocentesis, you must consider the risks of this more invasive test. Amniocentesis involves inserting a long needle into the amniotic sac and extracting a small amount of amniotic fluid for testing. This procedure increases the risk of miscarriage by placing the fetus at risk. A skilled ultrasound technician helps guide the needle to avoid injuring the fetus.

Preeclampsia is high blood pressure that often develops in pregnancies for women over the age of 35. Gestational diabetes can develop in any pregnancy but is more likely for older women. Placenta previa is a condition in which the placenta attaches low in the uterus. This is a serious condition that can be diagnosed through ultrasound testing and can cause uncontrolled bleeding. Each disorder can be treated. Regular doctor visits to the doctor are important because early detection leads to better medical treatment.

The odds are strongly in your favor of having a healthy baby regardless of your age at conception. As the incidence of older women having babies increased, the quality of medical care continues to improve.