Risk factors of elderly childbearing
With the development of society and the improvement of people's educational awareness, more and more couples choose to marry late and have children late, which leads to the trend of elder childbearing. However, there are certain risk factors for elderly childbearing, which may have an impact on the health of pregnant women and fetuses. The following is a detailed description of the risk factors of elderly childbearing from four aspects: age, physical health, reproductive capacity and pregnancy complications.
Age
Age is one of the most important risk factors for elderly childbearing. It is generally believed that when a woman is over 35 years old, the risk of pregnancy will increase. The ovarian function of women gradually declines with age, the quality of eggs declines, and the chance of pregnancy also decreases. In addition, older women may face higher risk of abortion and fetal chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome.
According to the statistics of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the abortion rate of women under 30 years old during pregnancy is about 10% to 15%, while that of women over 40 years old is as high as 30% to 50%. This is because the quality of ovarian follicles and ovarian function of elderly women will decline, and the number and quality of eggs will decline significantly, which will easily lead to abortion.
In addition, the risk of birth defects and malformations in older fetuses is also higher than that in young mothers. According to the data of the World Health Organization, pregnant women over 35 years old are eight times more likely to have children with Down syndrome than those under 25 years old.
Physical health
In addition to the age factor, the physical health of the elderly mothers also has an impact on the health of pregnant women and fetuses. With the increase of age, many women may face chronic diseases or potential health risks, such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, etc. These chronic diseases will increase the risk of complications during pregnancy, such as hypertension during pregnancy, diabetes, premature delivery, etc.
In addition, the general function, immunity and cardiopulmonary function of the elderly women will gradually decline with age, which is easy to cause complications and complications during pregnancy. For example, the burden of the cardiovascular system and the risk of surgery may increase when older women give birth.
Reproductive capacity
In addition to the above risk factors, the elderly childbearing also has the characteristics of fertility decline. Physiologically, women gradually enter menopause, and the quality and quantity of eggs continue to decrease. The development of follicles and ovulation function are affected, which leads to difficulties in pregnancy. In addition, the endometrium of elderly women may have irregular or abnormal hyperplasia, which may affect the development of embryo implantation and pregnancy.
The research of Munich Hospital in Germany shows that the success rate of in vitro fertilization for older women is far lower than that of younger women. This is because the quality of the eggs of the elderly parturient women declines, and the fertilization ability and embryo quality are poor, leading to the reduction of the success rate of in vitro fertilization.
Pregnancy complications
In addition to the difficulties of pregnancy, elderly mothers also face a series of complications during pregnancy. For example, pregnant women may face higher risks of pregnancy induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, placental dysfunction, etc. At the same time, the fetus may face higher preterm birth, low birth weight, chromosome abnormalities and other problems.
In conclusion, there are certain risk factors for elderly childbearing, including age, physical health, reproductive capacity and pregnancy complications. Therefore, when deciding to give birth at an advanced age, couples need to fully understand their own physical conditions, consult doctors, and actively take a series of preventive measures to reduce risks and protect their own and fetal health.
