The concept of genetic diseases of elderly fertility
Elderly childbearing refers to the pregnancy and delivery of women over 35 years old. With the progress of society, more and more women choose to postpone childbearing. However, elderly childbearing also brings a series of health risks, including the transmission risk of genetic diseases. Hereditary disease refers to the disease caused by gene mutation or genetic material abnormality, which can be passed from parents to children and affect the development and quality of life of children.
Whether the hereditary diseases of old age reproduction will be transmitted to children depends on the type of hereditary diseases and parents' genes. Some hereditary diseases have a clear genetic mode, such as autosomal dominant hereditary diseases, autosomal recessive hereditary diseases and sex chromosome linked hereditary diseases, while the genetic mode of some hereditary diseases is still unclear. The decline in egg quality of elderly pregnant women increases the risk of genetic diseases.
Common genetic diseases of elderly fertility
1. Down's syndrome: Down's syndrome is an autosomal trisomy syndrome caused by the abnormality of the 21st chromosome pair. The patient shows mental retardation, growth retardation, abnormal facial features and other symptoms. The risk of Down syndrome in children is closely related to the age of the mother, and the risk of Down syndrome in older pregnant women is significantly higher than that in ordinary pregnant women.
2. Congenital heart disease: Congenital heart disease refers to the structural abnormality of the heart found at the time of birth or shortly after birth. Some congenital heart diseases have a genetic tendency, and children born at an advanced age have a relatively high risk of congenital heart disease.
3. Hereditary deafness: Hereditary deafness refers to the deafness caused by gene mutation, which can be inherited before birth or caused by acquired factors. Children born at an advanced age have a higher risk of hereditary deafness than children born to young mothers.
Transmission risk of genetic diseases in elderly fertility
The transmission risk of genetic diseases in the elderly mainly depends on the parents' genes and disease risk. The age of the mother only increases the possibility of chromosomal abnormalities. For autosomal genetic diseases, if both parents are healthy gene carriers, the risk of the child's disease is 25%; However, parents with specific genes have a 50% chance of inheriting sex chromosome genetic diseases to their children.
Prenatal genetic counseling and genetic testing are important means for older pregnant women to determine the risk of genetic diseases. Through genetic counseling, doctors can predict the risk of children's disease according to family history and parents' genetic status, and gene testing can further confirm whether children have disease causing genes.
Summary
The genetic disease of old age reproduction is an increase in the risk of genetic disease caused by the increase of age and the decline of egg quality. Common genetic diseases of fertility in the elderly include Down's syndrome, congenital heart disease and hereditary deafness. The transmission risk of genetic diseases in elderly childbearing is closely related to the genetic status of parents, but not all elderly mothers will give birth to sick children. Prenatal genetic counseling and genetic testing are very important for older pregnant women, which can identify genetic disease risks in advance and take corresponding measures to reduce the birth of sick children. Therefore, before giving birth at an advanced age, women should actively consult and test to understand their genetic status and make wise choices.
