Genetic risk of elder childbearing
With the progress of social economy and the development of medical technology, more and more women choose to postpone childbearing. However, the elderly childbearing also brings a series of genetic dangers. This article will analyze the genetic risk of elderly childbearing from the perspective of chromosome abnormalities, genetic diseases, new gene mutations and maternal health.
Chromosomal abnormality
Chromosome abnormalities are one of the most worrying genetic risks for elderly pregnant women. When a woman is over 35 years old, the quality of her eggs begins to decline, which is likely to lead to the formation of embryos with chromosomal abnormalities. Common chromosomal abnormalities include Down syndrome (trisomy 21), Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18) and Patlow syndrome (trisomy 13). These babies with chromosome abnormalities will face serious consequences such as mental retardation and physical deformity.
In addition, older pregnant women may also have chromosomal structural abnormalities, such as balanced translocation, inversion and deletion. These chromosomal abnormalities may lead to embryonic development disorders and an increased risk of spontaneous abortion.
In order to reduce the genetic risk caused by chromosome abnormalities, older pregnant women can choose to accept prenatal diagnosis, such as amniocentesis or villus biopsy, to screen and diagnose fetal chromosome abnormalities.
Genetic disease
Older pregnant women also face the risk of genetic diseases. Because genetic diseases are often caused by abnormal genes, and parents' genes will be passed on to their children. Some common genetic diseases include congenital heart disease, congenital kidney disease, hereditary retinopathy, etc.
Older pregnant women are also more likely to carry certain genetic disease genes, which will greatly increase the risk of genetic diseases. In addition, older pregnant women may have a certain proportion of gene mutations as male partners of the same age, which will also affect the genetic risk of their offspring.
In order to reduce the risk of genetic diseases, older pregnant women can choose to carry out gene screening and counseling, understand their own genetic disease risks, and decide with their partners whether to choose to have children.
New gene mutation
The genetic risk of older pregnant women giving birth also includes the possibility of new gene mutations. With the growth of female age, the decline of egg quality may lead to an increase in the frequency of gene mutations. These new gene mutations may lead to various genetic diseases, such as autism, congenital deafness and so on.
In addition, the growth of parents' age is also related to the occurrence of some common diseases. For example, older fathers increase their children's risk of autism, mental illness and specific cancers.
By combining family history and other information, elderly pregnant women and their partners can fully understand the genetic risks caused by gene mutation, and carry out relevant gene testing and consultation.
Maternal health
The genetic risk of elderly pregnant women will not only affect the health of their children, but also bring risks to their own health. Higher age means more risks of pregnancy complications and postpartum complications.
Some health problems that pregnant women may face include pregnancy hypertension, diabetes, pre eclampsia, etc. In addition, older pregnant women may need to go through more complex delivery processes, such as caesarean section.
In view of the special situation of elderly pregnant women, hospitals and obstetricians will pay more close attention and management to ensure the safety of pregnant women and babies.
Summary
The genetic risks of elderly childbearing mainly include embryo errors caused by chromosome abnormalities, increased probability of genetic diseases, new gene mutations and maternal health problems. Faced with these genetic risks, older pregnant women can choose prenatal diagnosis, gene screening and counseling, and pay close attention to their own health. Only when these genetic risks are fully understood and recognized, can older pregnant women make wise choices and make relevant preparations.
