Pregnancy After 35

How Does Age Affect Fertility?

As women reach their thirties, they experience a decline in fertility. Furthermore, complications during pregnancy are more common when women reach age 35. Age-related decline in fertility may be due, in part, to the following:

• A decrease in the number and health of the eggs to be ovulated.
• Changes in the hormones resulting in altered ovulation.
• Fewer number of eggs.
• A decrease in sperm counts.
• A decrease in the frequency of intercourse.
• The presence of other medical and gynecologic conditions, such as endometriosis, which may interfere with conception.

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Pregnancy After Age 35, Is It Safe?

While advances in medical care can help women over age 35 have safer pregnancies than in the past, infertility and pregnancy complications for this age group are higher than for younger women. If you have decided to delay having a child, you should understand the risks associated with this so you can take precautions to minimize risks and improve your chances for a healthy pregnancy and child.

Pregnancy After Age 35, Does the Risk Birth Defects Increase?

The risk of giving birth to a child with a birth defect does increase as the mother's age increases. This is probably due to abnormal division of the egg, called nondisjunction. This leads to unequal chromosomes at the end of division. The traditional age at which a woman is considered to be at high risk for chromosomal abnormalities is 35. Approximately 1 in 1,400 babies born from women in their 20's have Down syndrome; it increases to about 1 in 100 babies born with Down syndrome from women in their 40s.

Pregnancy After Age 35, Will the Risk of Miscarriage Increase?

Studies show that the risk of miscarriage (loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks gestation) is 12% to 15% for women in their 20s and rises to about 25% for women at age 40. The increased incidence of chromosomal abnormalities contributes to this increased risk of miscarriage in older women.

Pregnancy After Age 35, What Other Problems can Arise?

Chronic health problems, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, are more common in women in their 30s and 40s. Be sure to get these conditions under control before you become pregnant, since they pose risks to both you and your baby. Careful medical monitoring, begun before conception and continued throughout your pregnancy, can reduce the risks associated with these conditions.

• High blood pressure and diabetes can develop for the first time during pregnancy, and women over the age of 30 are at increased risk. If you are pregnant and over age 35, this makes it especially important that you get early and regular prenatal care to ensure early diagnosis and proper treatment.
• Stillbirth (delivery of a baby that has died before birth) is more common in women over age 35. Older women are also more likely to have low-birth weight babies (weighing less than 5.5 pounds at birth).
• Cesarean birth is also slightly more common for women having their first child after age 35.