Genetic disease causes of elderly childbearing
With the development of modern medical technology, more and more women choose to have children in their later years, which is called elder childbearing. However, having children at an advanced age will increase many risks, including the occurrence of genetic diseases. In this paper, we will elaborate on the causes of genetic diseases in elderly childbearing from four aspects: chromosome abnormalities, mutation accumulation, genome stability and environmental factors.
1. Chromosome abnormalities
The aging will lead to the decline of female ovarian function and the reduction of egg quality and quantity. With the aging of eggs, the structure and number of chromosomes increase abnormally. Chromosome abnormality is one of the main causes of genetic diseases. For example, women over 35 years of age are 10 times more likely to suffer from Down syndrome when giving birth than young women. Down syndrome is caused by the abnormality of three chromosomes on chromosome 21. This abnormality will have a serious impact on children's intellectual and physical development.
Chromosome abnormalities also increase the incidence of other common genetic diseases, such as congenital heart disease, cleft lip and palate. These abnormalities are related to the structural and quantitative abnormalities of chromosomes.
2. Mutation accumulation
As women grow older, the DNA in their eggs and sperm will undergo a series of mutations. These mutations can accumulate and play a role in offspring. Older women who give birth are more likely to pass these mutations to their children, leading to the occurrence of genetic diseases.
Mutation accumulation is mainly related to incomplete DNA repair mechanism and random errors. With age, the repair mechanism becomes less effective, and the accumulation rate of mutant genes increases. This makes older children more vulnerable to the impact of mutant genes, which leads to the occurrence of various genetic diseases.
3. Genome stability
The stability of the genome of elderly women who have given birth has declined due to their age and environmental exposure. Genome stability refers to the ability of cells to maintain genome integrity and accuracy during replication. Aging will lead to the accumulation of DNA damage and the decline of repair ability.
The decline of genome stability may lead to the occurrence of various genetic diseases. For example, women who give birth at an advanced age are more likely to have children with hereditary diseases such as hemophilia. This is because the decrease of genome stability will lead to the occurrence of gene mutations related to hemophilia.
4. Environmental factors
In addition to physiological factors, environmental factors may also contribute to the genetic diseases of elderly childbearing. Older child-bearing people usually have longer pregnancy time and increased opportunities to contact the outside environment. This increases the risk of fetal exposure to various harmful substances, such as radiation, poisons and teratogenic factors.
For example, after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan, the premature delivery rate of elderly women increased significantly, which was considered to be related to the impact of radiation on embryonic development. Environmental factors may directly cause genetic diseases or increase the probability of their occurrence.
summary
The main causes of genetic diseases in elderly childbearing include chromosome abnormalities, mutation accumulation, reduced genomic stability and environmental factors. Chromosome abnormalities and mutation accumulation will increase the probability of children suffering from various genetic diseases, while the decline of genome stability and the role of environmental factors will also affect the occurrence of genetic diseases. Therefore, it is very important for the elderly women who give birth to carry out genetic counseling and testing as early as possible to reduce the risk of genetic diseases.
