Risk of childbirth at an advanced age
With the development of society and the improvement of people's living standards, more and more couples choose to postpone childbearing and the establishment of families. However, the elderly childbearing also brings a series of risks and challenges. This article will elaborate on the risks of elderly childbearing from four aspects: physiological risks, prenatal and postnatal risks, genetic risks and psychological risks.
Physiological risk
Physiologically, older women who give birth face more health risks than younger women. First of all, with the growth of age, women's ovarian function will gradually decline, and the quality of eggs will also decline, leading to increased difficulty in pregnancy and increased abortion rate. Secondly, the risk of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes mellitus and gestational hypertension in elderly pregnant women is also significantly increased. Finally, during delivery, older pregnant women may face higher risk of cesarean section rate and vaginal tears due to changes in pelvic structure and other reasons.
Prenatal and postnatal risks
Older childbearing has higher prenatal and postpartum risks. In terms of prenatal risk, older pregnant women are prone to pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and pregnancy induced hypertension, which increase the risk of premature delivery and low birth weight infants. In addition, the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus of elderly pregnant women is also significantly increased. In terms of postpartum risk, elderly mothers may face greater pressure in terms of recovery and childcare, and are prone to psychological problems such as postpartum depression.
Genetic risk
Older childbearing is closely related to the risk of chromosomal abnormality infants. With the growth of women's age, the quality of eggs decreases, and the risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases. The most common is Down's syndrome, or trisomy 21 syndrome. Not only that, but also the risk of other karyotype abnormalities, such as trisomy 18 syndrome and trisomy 13 syndrome, will be increased by the aging of childbearing. These children with chromosomal abnormalities may face problems such as mental retardation and physical deformity.
Psychological risk
For both husband and wife, the psychological pressure of elderly childbearing is greater. The first is the pressure of childbearing desire. With the growth of age, many people hope to have children as soon as possible to expand their families. However, due to physiological constraints, many people are difficult to achieve this desire, resulting in anxiety and pressure. The second is the psychological pressure after childbirth. Older mothers may face greater physical and mental burden in the process of raising children. The growth of children also affects their career development, increasing psychological pressure.
To sum up, there are physical risks, prenatal and postnatal risks, genetic risks, psychological risks and other challenges and risks in elderly childbearing. For couples who are ready to give birth at an advanced age, they should fully understand these risks, make physical and psychological preparations, and conduct comprehensive prenatal examination and treatment in appropriate hospitals to ensure the health of mothers and babies.
