Some women decided to postpone the issue of pregnancy beyond the age of forty because of the ambitions of work and physical stability or conditions beyond their will. Despite the risks of pregnancy at this age, some experts say that no matter how old you are during pregnancy, you will find a number of positive factors that encourage you to continue. Know with us the opinions of experts on the pros and cons of pregnancy after the age of forty.
Pros of procreation after the age of forty : The biggest advantage of waiting to have children is your access to a more secure physical level and more comfortable at the professional level. As well as increasing the chance of knowing your partner in a variety of circumstances, providing a solid foundation for family education. Older mothers in general, better informed and educated than young mothers, have the ability to make wiser decisions. They are also more likely to breastfeed because of healthy food choices such as fruits instead of desserts or sugary drinks, which most young women prefer.
• Parents in their forties are often more focused on their children than younger parents. This is because they have had enough time to travel and go through a wide range of experiences before having children.
The disadvantages of procreation after the age of forty :
• Reproduction after the age of forty includes many health risks because the eggs of women at this age have been stored for a long time, increasing the risk of the fetus with the problems of chromosomes that cause genetic diseases such as Down syndrome or the child of Mongolia.
Pregnancy complications are very high in pregnancy after age 40, including complications from preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and placental problems. All of which pose serious health risks to the mother and the fetus.
• Increased likelihood of miscarriage, premature birth or stillbirth, where the uterus at this age is less receptive to pregnancy and hormonal changes that accompany it.
• Decreased fertility of both spouses, which reduces the chances of pregnancy naturally and therefore may be forced to resort to the couple of IVF and IVF including the risks and potential for failure.
And the risk of pregnancy after the age of forty on the mother :
• Increased risk of breast cancer: Research shows that older women who have recently given birth are more likely to develop breast cancer in the 15-year-olds than their peers in the same age group who did not. The researchers attributed these risks to the sudden increase in levels of estrogen that the body can not tolerate at this age.
• Risk of placental problems : Placenta problems are relatively rare during pregnancy, but pregnancy after the age of 40 increases the risk of a placenta, a serious condition that causes the placenta to move away from the uterus during pregnancy, which can cause severe vaginal bleeding and stimulate premature birth. The main reason for this is that the older uterus is less willing to tolerate the physical changes that occur during pregnancy.
•Gestational Diabetes: The risk of gestational diabetes increases significantly in the case of pregnancy after the age of forty, affecting both mother and fetus together. In addition to the possibility of the continuation of this disease with the mother after birth, the risk of the fetus’s lack of breath and low blood sugar is increasing significantly.
Risk of pregnancy after the age of forty on the child :
• Down syndrome: a chromosomal disorder that causes what is known as a Mongolian child, where the child is born with characteristic features of the syndrome. Children with Down’s syndrome are at risk for thyroid disease and GERD. Research confirms that the risk of this syndrome increases significantly in children born to mothers over the age of forty.
• Low birth weight: Pre-eclampsia, which affects pregnant women after the age of forty, causes poor blood flow to the placenta, causing poor nutrient access to the fetus, resulting in less than normal weight and incomplete respiratory growth.
Pregnancy after the age of forty includes many health risks on both mother and fetus so you should think well and consult your doctor before making such a decision.