Elderly childbearing: how old is considered to be?
With the development of society and the progress of medical technology, more and more women choose to postpone childbirth, pursue career development or wait for better economic conditions. However, the accompanying elderly childbearing has also triggered a series of discussions and concerns. So, how old is it to be considered as the oldest child? This article will elaborate on the elderly childbearing from the aspects of age limit, physiological characteristics, medical risks and social impact.
Age limit
Generally speaking, women's reproductive capacity will gradually decline at age, especially at a certain age. According to the definition of the World Health Organization, women over 35 years of age are regarded as elderly childbearing. This is because after the age of 35, the number and quality of eggs will decrease, and the ovulation function will gradually decline, thus affecting the quality of pregnancy and embryonic development.
In China, some hospitals also regard the age of 35 as the dividing line for elderly childbearing. For example, Peking Union Medical College Hospital provides special inspection and guidance for women over 35 years old in the elderly maternity clinic.
However, it should be pointed out that age is not the only factor, and the factors affecting women's fertility also include health status, living habits, etc. Therefore, age is only a reference and cannot be used as the only criterion to determine the fertility at an advanced age.
Physiological characteristics
With the growth of age, a series of physiological changes have taken place in women's bodies, which also directly affect the possibility of elderly childbearing. For example, the quality of eggs declines, and the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and gene mutations increases, leading to abnormal embryonic development, increased abortion rates and increased incidence of certain genetic diseases.
In addition, after a woman is 35 years old, problems such as decreased endometrial thickness, decreased myometrial elasticity, and decreased placental function gradually appear, which affect the embryo nutrition and development environment, and increase the risk of pregnancy complications and fetal health problems.
Medical risks
Older childbearing will not only affect the health of pregnancy, but also increase many pregnancy complications and delivery risks. For example, older pregnant women are more likely to suffer from gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension, pre eclampsia and other diseases. At the same time, older pregnant women also face higher cesarean section rate and postpartum hemorrhage risk.
In order to reduce medical risks, some hospitals provide one-on-one gynaecological and obstetric services for the elderly, including full nursing care by gynaecologists and obstetricians, personalized treatment schemes, and more frequent prenatal examinations. For example, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine has a special clinic for elderly childbearing to provide personalized obstetric and gynecological services.
social influence
In addition to the impact on personal health and medical risks, elderly childbearing will also cause a series of social problems and disputes. On the one hand, late childbearing may lead to increased family financial pressure, and it will be more difficult to care for and educate children. On the other hand, elderly mothers may also face the physical and psychological burden of raising their children in old age.
In addition, elder childbearing also involves a series of ethical and lifestyle choices. For example, whether to choose artificial assisted reproduction technology or surrogacy should be carefully considered, and relevant laws and ethical standards should be observed.
To sum up, the definition of elder childbearing is mainly based on the age of 35. After this age, women may face restrictions of physiological characteristics, increased medical risks and consideration of social impacts. For women who plan to give birth at an advanced age, they should fully understand the relevant information, actively take health measures, consult doctors' suggestions and guidance, and ensure their own and children's health.
