Older childbearing increases the risk of congenital problems
With the postponement of childbearing age, more and more women choose to be pregnant at a higher age. However, giving birth at an advanced age will increase the risk of congenital problems for children. Congenital problems are health problems that exist before birth and are caused by genetic factors or abnormal embryonic development. This article will elaborate on the congenital problems that are easy to occur in the elderly childbearing from four aspects: genetic factors, chromosome abnormalities, heart defects and neural tube defects.
Genetic factor
One of the main risks of elderly childbearing is congenital problems caused by genetic factors. With the growth of age, the quality and quantity of female eggs will decline, leading to an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities. For example, women over the age of 35 are significantly more likely to have Down syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality. In addition, some genetic diseases are also more likely to occur in older pregnant children, such as cystic fibrosis and non nerve macula.
At the same time, the increase of father's age will also increase the risk of hereditary diseases. Research shows that older fathers increase the likelihood of children suffering from autism, schizophrenia, congenital heart defects and other diseases.
Chromosomal abnormality
Another common problem of elder childbearing is chromosomal abnormalities, especially in early embryonic development. Chromosome abnormalities may cause the embryo to stop developing or increase the body structure abnormalities at birth. The most common chromosomal abnormality is trisomy syndrome, or Down syndrome. Other chromosomal abnormalities include paternal or maternal translocation, inversion or other structural abnormalities.
The risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases with women's age. According to research, the risk of Down syndrome is about 1 in 250 for women over 35 years old when they are pregnant, and only 1 in 1200 for women under 25 years old.
Heart defect
Older childbearing also increases the risk of heart defects at birth. Heart defect refers to abnormal heart structure, which may lead to abnormal blood flow and affect the life quality and life span of infants. The study found that children born to older mothers are more likely to suffer from heart defects than children born to younger mothers.
The growth of female age may be related to heart defects. Research shows that women over the age of 35 are more than twice as likely as women under the age of 20 to have a baby with heart defects. The specific types of heart defects include atrial septal defect, aortic valve stenosis, patent foramen ovale, etc.
Neural tube defect
Older childbearing also increases the risk of neural tube defects in infants. Neural tube defects refer to the structural problems of the spine, brain or meninges caused by incomplete closure or abnormal development of neural tubes during embryonic development. The most common neural tube defects are spina bifida and meningocele.
Research shows that children born at an advanced age have a higher risk of neural tube defects than children born to young mothers. According to the data of a hospital, the incidence of neural tube defects in mothers under 35 years old is 1-2 per 1000 newborns, while in mothers over 35 years old, the number increases to 4-5 per 1000 newborns.
Summary
Older childbearing will increase the risk of congenital problems for children. Hereditary factors, chromosome abnormalities, heart defects and neural tube defects are common congenital problems in older babies. The aging of mothers will lead to the decline of egg quality and increase the risk of chromosomal abnormalities and genetic diseases. At the same time, the father's age will also be related to the increased possibility of children suffering from autism and other diseases. Children born at an advanced age are also more likely to suffer from heart defects and neural tube defects. Therefore, couples who plan to give birth at an advanced age should fully understand the possible problems, and carry out prenatal testing and consultation under the guidance of doctors to minimize the risk of congenital problems.
