What are the effects of elder childbearing on children's heredity?
With the development of society and the improvement of people's living standards, more and more women choose to postpone childbearing, leading to the phenomenon of elder childbearing more and more common. The definition of elder childbearing generally refers to the childbearing of women over 35 years old. However, there is a close relationship between elder childbearing and children's heredity, which will bring some noticeable effects on children's health and development.
1. Increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities
As women grow older, the quality of their eggs will gradually decline, including an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities. Chromosome abnormalities may lead to chromosome diseases at birth, such as Down's syndrome, Edwards syndrome, etc. These diseases will seriously affect children's physical and intellectual development, and bring serious challenges to their lives.
In addition, children born at an advanced age may also face the risk of genetic diseases, because parents themselves may carry some gene mutations. These gene mutations may not be obvious when young, but with age, these gene mutations may be exposed and passed on to the next generation.
However, no matter whether there are chromosomal abnormalities or genetic diseases, the risk of elderly childbirth is still relatively low, and most of the children of elderly mothers can be born healthily.
2. Influence of cognitive ability and intellectual development
According to research, there may be some differences in cognitive ability and intellectual development among children born at an advanced age. A follow-up study of more than 9000 children found that children born at an advanced age generally have low scores in nonverbal intelligence.
One of the possible reasons is that the age of the mother will affect the quality of eggs, and then affect the growth and development of the fetus. There may be more DNA damage in the eggs of elderly mothers, which may affect the gene expression and brain development of the fetus.
However, it is worth noting that this effect is not absolute, and individual differences are great. Other factors, such as family environment and educational resources, may also have an important impact on children's cognitive ability and intellectual development.
3. Increased risk of birth defects
Another significant impact of older childbearing is the increased risk of birth defects. Research shows that the risk of birth defects of children born to elderly mothers is higher than that of young mothers. The most common birth defects include congenital heart disease, cleft lip, cleft palate, etc.
This increased risk is related to the age of the mother and may be related to the decline of egg quality, ovarian function and changes in hormone levels. In addition, older mothers may be more prone to pregnancy complications during pregnancy, such as pregnancy hypertension and diabetes, which may also increase the risk of birth defects.
4. Potential advantages of longevity gene
Although there are some negative effects of elderly childbearing, some studies have shown that elderly mothers may pass on some longevity genes to the next generation. Longevity genes are some gene variations related to life extension, which can enhance the anti aging ability and health of individuals.
Therefore, children born at an advanced age may have some advantages in suffering from diseases and health problems. However, further research is needed to confirm this, because the influence of longevity genes is complex and is subject to the interaction of multiple genes and environmental factors.
Summary:
Older childbearing has certain influence on children's heredity. The most important aspects are the increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities, the influence of cognitive ability and intellectual development, the increased occurrence of birth defects and the advantages of potential longevity genes. However, these impacts are not absolute, and individual differences are large. Other factors such as family environment and educational resources will also have an important impact on children's health and development. Therefore, before deciding to give birth at an advanced age, prospective parents should fully understand and consider these impacts, and make wise decisions under the guidance of doctors.
