The truth of elder childbearing: will it increase children's health risks?
Elderly childbearing refers to the pregnancy and childbirth of women over 35 years old. In recent years, with the social progress and the development of medical technology, more and more women choose to marry and have children late, making the elderly childbearing an increasingly common phenomenon. However, some studies have shown that giving birth at an advanced age may increase children's health risks. This article will discuss the truth of the elderly birth from the aspects of birth difficulty, genetic risk, pregnancy complications and birth defects.
Fertility difficulty
With the growth of age, the function of female ovaries gradually declines, and the quality of eggs will also be affected. Studies have shown that the quality of eggs of elderly women has declined significantly, and it is difficult to fertilize, develop and implant, thus increasing the difficulty of pregnancy. In addition, the uterus of elderly women will also change, such as endometrial thinning and blood supply reduction, which will reduce the success rate of embryo implantation.
In addition, the pregnancy rate of elderly women is also significantly reduced. A study shows that women over 40 years old have only about 20% chance of conceiving each month, compared with 25% to 30% for women under 30 years old. Therefore, the truth of childbearing at an advanced age is that women's difficulty in childbearing will increase with age.
Genetic risk
Elderly childbearing not only affects the difficulty of pregnancy, but also increases the probability of genetic diseases in infants. The risk of DNA damage and mutation will also increase due to the decline in egg quality of elderly women. This means that older women are more likely to give birth to babies with chromosomal abnormalities, genetic diseases or developmental defects.
For example, Down syndrome is a common chromosomal abnormality disease, which is related to elderly childbearing. Research shows that the risk of having a baby with Down syndrome for women over 35 years old is 1/250, while that for women under 30 years old is 1/1000. In addition, older women are more likely to have babies with birth defects such as neural tube defects, cleft lip and palate.
Pregnancy complications
In addition to the genetic risk, the risk of complications during pregnancy is also increased by the elderly childbearing. Due to the growth of age, older women are more likely to suffer from gestational diabetes, pregnancy induced hypertension, placental insufficiency and other diseases. These diseases not only pose risks to the health of the mother, but also affect the growth and development of the fetus.
A study found that the probability of pregnant women over 35 years of age suffering from gestational diabetes is about 10%, while the probability of pregnant women under 30 years of age is 2% to 5%. In addition, older pregnant women are more likely to suffer from complications such as premature delivery, intrauterine growth retardation and placental abruption, which will increase the risk of infant mortality and development problems at birth.
birth defect
Older births are also associated with the risk of birth defects. Due to the decline in egg quality, older women are more likely to have babies with birth defects such as congenital heart disease, spina bifida, cleft lip and palate.
A study found that the risk of women over 35 years of age giving birth to babies with congenital heart disease was 0.5%, while that of women under 30 years of age was 0.2%. In addition, older women are more likely to have babies with low weight and slow growth. These birth defects and health problems may affect the long-term life and development of children.
Summary
Although the elderly childbearing is more and more common in modern society, it also faces a series of health risks. From the perspective of fertility difficulty, genetic risk, pregnancy complications and birth defects, older childbearing will increase the health risk of children. Therefore, if women plan to have late childbearing, it is recommended to consult a doctor in advance to understand the relevant risks and make adequate preparation and monitoring to ensure the health of mothers and babies.
