The Influence of Aging Fertility on Embryo Health
With the development of social economy and the improvement of medical conditions, more and more women choose to become pregnant in their later years. However, the elderly fertility has a certain impact on the health of embryos. This article will elaborate from four aspects: weakened reproductive capacity, chromosome abnormalities, embryonic dysplasia and birth defects.
Decreased reproductive capacity
With the growth of women's age, the number of eggs decreased and the quality became worse. The quality of female eggs directly affects the quality and development of fertilized eggs. Research shows that compared with women aged 20 to 29, women over 34 have a faster decline in egg quality and a lower chance of successful pregnancy.
In addition, the luteal function of women will also be affected. The corpus luteum is a necessary tissue to maintain pregnancy for a period of time after ovulation. The progesterone it secretes can promote embryo implantation and development. The luteal function of elderly women is often unstable, leading to the decline of luteal function, thus increasing the risk of early abortion.
In a word, the weakening of reproductive capacity is an important influencing factor of aging fertility on embryo health.
Chromosomal abnormality
As women grow older, the risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases. Chromosome abnormalities are mainly manifested as the common Down syndrome. Generally, the probability of chromosomal abnormalities in eggs will increase with the age of the mother. This is because the number and quality of female eggs will decline with age, leading to an increase in the proportion of eggs with abnormal chromosomes.
If the fertilized egg with abnormal chromosome continues to develop, it may lead to abortion of pregnant women or congenital abnormality of embryo. According to statistics, the probability of chromosomal abnormalities among women over 40 years old is as high as 50%. Therefore, it is very important for the elderly women to carry out genetic counseling and testing before pregnancy and select healthy embryos.
Embryonic dysplasia
Embryonic dysplasia is another important factor that affects the health of embryos in the elderly. Due to the poor egg quality of the elderly women, the development ability of the fertilized eggs will also be reduced. Research shows that the development rate of fertilized eggs of women over 54 years old is only 10-20%, while that of women aged 30-34 years old can reach 60-70%.
The main manifestations of embryonic dysplasia are embryo termination and abnormal implantation. Embryo termination means that the embryo stops growing at the early stage of development, which eventually leads to abortion. Abnormal implantation means that the embryo cannot attach to the endometrium normally, which makes the embryo unable to obtain sufficient nutrients and oxygen in the uterus, leading to pregnancy failure or early abortion.
birth defect
Older childbearing also increases the risk of embryo birth defects. Research shows that the risk of birth defects of children conceived by women over 35 years old is significantly increased. Birth defects can involve external form, organ structure, intelligence and many other aspects. Down syndrome, congenital heart disease and neural tube defects are common birth defects.
The occurrence of birth defects is related to the cause of aging fertility, mainly due to the decline in the quality of eggs and sperm, and the resulting fertilized eggs carry more mutant genes. Therefore, it is very important for older pregnant women to carry out prenatal screening and gene testing in early pregnancy, so as to detect and intervene potential embryonic development abnormalities as soon as possible.
To sum up, the elderly fertility has an important impact on embryonic health. Weakened reproductive capacity, chromosomal abnormalities, embryonic dysplasia and birth defects are the main influencing factors. Therefore, older pregnant women should receive more comprehensive and detailed prenatal examination and consultation to reduce the risk of embryonic development problems and birth defects.
As mentioned above, old age fertility has a series of effects on embryonic health. With the growth of women's age, the risk of fertility weakening, chromosome abnormalities, embryonic dysplasia and birth defects also increases. Therefore, older pregnant women should fully understand these influencing factors before pregnancy, and actively take corresponding preventive and intervention measures to improve the health of embryos.
