Whether genetic diseases will occur
1. Age and genetic risk
Elderly childbearing means that women give birth to children at the age of 35 and above. With the growth of age, the quality and quantity of eggs in women will gradually decline, which may have an impact on the genetic status of children.
First, on the one hand, the decline of female egg quality will increase the risk of chromosomal abnormalities. For example, children may suffer from Down syndrome, Edward syndrome and other genetic diseases caused by chromosome abnormalities. In fact, according to statistics, women over 35 years of age are more than 10 times more likely to have Down syndrome when pregnant than women under 30 years of age.
On the other hand, the decrease in the number of female eggs may increase the risk of children suffering from some single gene genetic diseases. For example, cystic fibrosis is a common single gene genetic disease, and its incidence is significantly related to women's age. Research shows that women over 35 years old have a higher risk of cystic fibrosis than young women.
2. Impact of uterine environment
During the development of a child in the mother's body, the environment of the uterus also affects its genetic status. With the growth of age, the environment of the female uterus may change, thus affecting the development of the embryo.
Changes in the uterine environment may increase the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in embryos. At the same time, embryos with abnormal chromosomes may easily lead to problems such as abortion or birth defects. Therefore, children born at an advanced age have a higher risk of abortion and birth defects.
In addition, changes in the uterine environment may also affect gene expression, leading to the occurrence of some genetic diseases. For example, endometriosis is a common disease in women, and its pathogenesis may be related to changes in the uterine environment.
3. Other age related factors
Pregnant women who give birth at an advanced age may also have other age related factors, which may affect the genetic status of their children.
For example, older pregnant women have a higher risk of suffering from certain chronic diseases (such as hypertension, diabetes, etc.). These diseases themselves may be related to heredity, and may affect the heredity of children by affecting the health of pregnant women, thus increasing the risk of genetic diseases in children.
In addition, older pregnant women may have more life habits and environmental exposure factors, such as smoking, drinking, work pressure, etc., which may also have a negative impact on the genetic status of their children.
4. Prevention and screening
Although there is an increased risk of genetic diseases in older pregnant women, not all older children will have genetic diseases.
In order to prevent and screen genetic diseases, modern medicine provides a series of detection means. The prenatal non-invasive gene detection technology has been applied in some hospitals, which can screen the chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus by separating the fetal free fetal nucleic acid (cfDNA) from the maternal blood. In addition, the role of genetic counseling and genetic counselors is also very important. They can provide professional advice and guidance to pregnant women according to their family history and genetic background.
summary
To sum up, whether children born at an advanced age will have genetic diseases is related to women's age, uterine environment, other age related factors, etc. Pregnant women who give birth at an advanced age need to fully understand the risks associated with it, and take corresponding screening and preventive measures under the guidance of doctors to reduce the risk of genetic diseases. At the same time, the society should also strengthen the education and publicity of the elderly childbearing, improve the public's awareness of the relevant risks, and provide better support and care for the elderly pregnant women.
