Hi Morgan -
I think it is really interesting how chromosomal anomalies are more likely when the mother is of advanced maternal age. I knew that women who choose to delay pregnancy until later in life were at risk of more complications, but I did not know there were such a wide variety of both genetic and physiological complications. Since AMA pregnancies are becoming more common for various, individualized reasons (as you pointed out), it is good that medical screenings and diagnostic tests are advancing as well. One of the tests I read about that I had never heard of before was Prenatal Chromosomal Microarray Analysis (CMA). CMA is a detailed test that is performed on cells obtained from amniocentesis that can detect genetic abnormalities that might be too small for other tests like a Prenatal Chromosome Analysis (Karyotype).
I think it is really interesting how chromosomal anomalies are more likely when the mother is of advanced maternal age. I knew that women who choose to delay pregnancy until later in life were at risk of more complications, but I did not know there were such a wide variety of both genetic and physiological complications. Since AMA pregnancies are becoming more common for various, individualized reasons (as you pointed out), it is good that medical screenings and diagnostic tests are advancing as well. One of the tests I read about that I had never heard of before was Prenatal Chromosomal Microarray Analysis (CMA). CMA is a detailed test that is performed on cells obtained from amniocentesis that can detect genetic abnormalities that might be too small for other tests like a Prenatal Chromosome Analysis (Karyotype).