Pregnancy over the age of 35 can come with some risks. Some of the risks that go along with pregnancy over the age of 35 are miscarriages, birth defects, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and having a difficult labor. There is also a higher risk of having an abnormal number of chromosomes for the baby. Having too little or too many chromosomes can lead to early or late pregnancy loss which could result in a stillbirth. Women are born with all their eggs and as you age the number of eggs decrease and their quality also decreases. A genetic risk that comes with being pregnant over the age of 35 is the higher risk of having a baby with Down Syndrome which is when the baby has more chromosomes than the average number. Turner Syndrome is a rare disorder that is mostly found in females. The baby only gets one X chromosome instead of getting 2 X’s. This syndrome does affect height and fertility but does not affect intelligence. Edward’s syndrome is more severe than down syndrome, usually the baby doesn’t survive he/she’s first year. They have multiple health problems which could include heart defects. There are lot of test that can help detect any of these syndromes. You can get a genetic screening done before you become pregnant and this can detect if the baby will get Down Syndrome or any other syndromes. You can also get an Anatomy ultrasound done for the baby and they will see if the baby is forming all of the correct anatomical parts that they need. Growth Scan can also be done during pregnancy. If your over forty you can have a fetal monitoring session just to make sure that the baby is healthy.
For me personally I wouldn’t care if I was over 35 and had a baby. Its sounds like that there is risk with any pregnancies that you have even if you are under 35 or older. The risk that come with pregnancies do increase more when you get to 35 and they increase more when you are 40 and I think I would take that into consideration. I think society is facing this issue now because majority of women want to start their careers and feel comfortable financially before they start having children. I also think that women are not being pressured as much to have kids now a days. It is socially acceptable for women to not have kids which could result in women either not having kids at all or waiting longer into their lives to have them.
References
Murray, D., & Bsn. (2020, January 6). Risks, Causes, and Information on Genetic Disorders in Pregnancy. Retrieved from https://www.verywellfamily.com/pregnancy-and-genetic-disorders-4172801
Nichols, H. (2017, June 9). Pregnancy after 35: What are the risks? Retrieved February 16, 2020, from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/317861#Advanced-age-not-responsible-for-low-birth-weight,-preterm-birth
Pregnancy Beyond Age 35 – Reviewing the Risks. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://
Risks of Pregnancy Over Age 30. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=90&contentid=P02481