The influence of elderly childbearing on mothers and infants
In recent years, the number of elderly births has increased in China, that is, women over 35 years old are pregnant or giving birth. Compared with young mothers, older mothers face more health risks, and will also have a series of impacts on both mothers and babies. This article will elaborate on the impact of elderly childbearing on mothers and infants from the aspects of physical risk, fetal development, postpartum recovery and mental health.
physical risk
Women who give birth at an advanced age will face certain physical risks due to the decline of their physical functions as they grow older. First, elderly women are prone to chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, which will increase the risk of pregnancy complications during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes and pregnancy induced hypertension syndrome. Secondly, the elderly fertility is associated with an increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome. Third, older women are also prone to complications during pregnancy, such as prenatal eclampsia and placental abruption. These physical risks have a certain negative impact on the health of mothers and infants.
In addition, elderly childbearing will also increase the choice of delivery methods. Due to the high risk of delivery of elderly women, doctors may prefer caesarean section rather than natural delivery to reduce complications during delivery. However, the physical trauma caused by caesarean section and the long recovery time after operation will cause additional burden on the maternal body.
Fetal development
The influence of the elderly on the fetus is mainly manifested in the rate of embryo implantation, the rate of early abortion and the incidence of chromosomal abnormalities. Because the quality of female eggs decreases with the increase of age, the embryo implantation rate of older women is low, and implantation failure is prone to occur. At the same time, the early abortion rate of elderly women is also high, which may be related to the decline of egg quality.
In addition, the incidence of fetal chromosomal abnormalities in elderly women is also high. With the increase of age, the probability of chromosomal abnormalities in eggs also increases, which is mainly manifested in the increased risk of Down syndrome and other chromosomal abnormalities. These chromosomal abnormalities will have an important impact on the normal development of the fetus, increasing the risk of birth defects in children.
postpartum recovery
Older childbearing also poses some challenges to the recovery of postpartum. Because elderly women may choose caesarean section during delivery, the process of body recovery and wound healing after surgery is relatively long. In addition, the physical recovery ability of elderly women is poor, and the recovery of postpartum physical function will also be slower than that of young women. Postpartum recovery not only affects the health of mothers, but also may affect the care and support of newborns.
mental health
The elderly childbearing also has a certain impact on the psychological health of pregnant women. Due to the physical risks and pregnancy problems brought by the elderly childbirth itself, the puerpera may face greater psychological pressure. At the same time, chronic diseases, chromosome abnormalities and other problems brought about by elderly childbirth will also bring anxiety and restlessness to pregnant women. These psychological pressures and negative emotions may affect the emotional stability of mothers and their emotional input to infants.
To sum up, the impact of elderly childbearing on mothers and infants is mainly manifested in physical risks, fetal development, postpartum recovery and mental health. It is vital to understand and pay attention to these impacts, which will help the elderly mothers and their families take relevant health measures and monitoring tools to reduce potential risks.
