A
pregnancy after 40 has increased
risk for both the mother and the
baby. In fact, getting pregnant
after the age of 35 does carry
the increased chances of
developing complications during
the pregnancy and during the
delivery. Being in good health
before you become pregnant and
obtaining prenatal care as early
as possible is essential. It is
very common for babies born to
mothers in this age group to
have genetic disorders. This is
because as you age, so your eggs
and they are more likely to have
chromosomal deficiencies as you
advance in years. You may not
look or feel forty years of age,
but your body’s organs do
start to lose their
youthfulness, whether you want
them to or not.
Although
there is a risk of miscarriage
for all women in the first
trimester, this risk is doubled
or tripled for women over the
age of forty. They also have a
greater chance of experiencing
stillbirth. The baby may be born
with medical problems that will
cause it die in infancy and this
causes even more trauma to the
mother. Even if they haven’s
been taking fertility drugs, it
is quite common for older women
to give birth to multiple
babies. Experts report that
women who become pregnant in
their forties are more likely to
have more than one baby than
women who become pregnant in
their twenties.
While
there are many medical
conditions related to pregnancy,
these are more common in older
pregnant women. Gestational
diabetes and high blood pressure
are just two of these. Some of
the common complications that
doctors are always checking for
when they have a patient who is
pregnant and over forty include:
-
Placenta Previa ?This is a
condition where the placenta is
very low-lying and covers the
cervix. One of the symptoms of
this complication is bleeding.
If the placenta becomes
detached, there could be severe
bleeding and would result in a
Caesarean section in order to
deliver the baby.
-
Placental abruptions ?This is a
complication that results when
the placenta detaches itself
from the lining of the womb. In
some cases the bleeding may be
so severe that the mother
requires a blood transfusion
-
Pre-term delivery. Many mothers
in this age group have premature
babies
-
Intrauterine growth retardation
?This is the term given to a
baby that is very small at birth
even though the pregnancy may be
full term. As they get older,
women can have complications
that do not permit the baby to
develop as it should in the
womb.
A
woman with a history of high
blood pressure or diabetes
before she gets pregnant is at
increased risk when she does get
pregnant. This is more
pronounced in women over the age
of forty and they may find it
very difficult to manage their
medical conditions during the
pregnancy, resulting in lengthy
hospital stays or bed rest at
home. Older women are more
likely to deliver their babies
by Caesarean section, rather
than a vaginal delivery, than
younger women as well.
Source:
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