What Are the Complications of Pregnancy at an Older Age?
She states: “With this history, the probability of successful pregnancy in the next few times is very low, considering the increase in age, while my personal interest is to have more than one child.” Another mother also states: “I became pregnant for the first time at the age of 35, and since then I have had high blood pressure, and according to the doctor, the reason for my high blood pressure is pregnancy at an advanced age.” “Malashahi” is also one of the women who became pregnant for the first time at the age of 35, but due to the diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus, she had an abortion on the doctor’s order.
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She says in this regard: “I was 30 when I got married and from that time I tried to have a child, but it was unsuccessful until the age of 35.” By taking medical measures, I was able to get pregnant at this age. After 14 weeks, the doctor diagnosed the fetus with chromosomal abnormalities through an NT ultrasound. After performing an amniocentesis test, the presence of Down syndrome was confirmed and an abortion was ordered. However, the conditions for pregnancy at an advanced age are not the same for everyone, and some people have been able to experience successful pregnancy and childbirth at this age.”
“Ghiasi” is one of these mothers who says: “Since I was planning to get pregnant at the age of 32 and was aware of the risks of pregnancy at an older age, I was under the care of a gynecologist a year before pregnancy and from that time on I started exercising regularly. Therefore, I became pregnant at the age of 33 with sufficient physical fitness and by following a diet, I was able to go through the pregnancy without any possible complications.”
Pregnancy complications after 35 years are more likely
A gynecologist says: “There are many beliefs about women getting pregnant after the age of 35, yet many women have become pregnant after the age of 35. In fact, one in every 10 children is born to a mother over the age of 35 and has no problems, and of course the mother is also in perfect health.” However, doctors and midwives have some advice for pregnant women over the age of 35 so that despite all the sensitivities and health problems after this age, such as the possibility of gestational diabetes, miscarriage, or even abnormalities in babies such as Down syndrome, they can safely go through their pregnancy and give birth to a healthy child.
Dr. Leila Kalantari continues: “Women who become pregnant after the age of 35 are usually more likely to face some pregnancy complications. Gestational diabetes and high blood pressure are among the most common complications at this age.”
Therefore, it is necessary to regularly visit a doctor to control such problems and carefully implement the recommendations. She considers a healthy and balanced diet to be necessary for all pregnant women, regardless of their age, and clarifies: “Women who become pregnant at an older age are more likely to gain weight related to pregnancy, which in itself contributes to the occurrence of side effects and loss of energy during pregnancy.” However, having a healthy and balanced diet along with taking nutritional supplements prescribed by a doctor, which places more emphasis on consuming natural foods and high-quality protein, plays an important role in preventing excess weight and ensures that the mother and fetus have good nutrition.
Risk of chromosomal abnormalities
This specialist states: “Women who become pregnant after the age of 35 need to undergo a series of genetic tests to check for chromosomal abnormalities under the supervision of a specialist.” Unfortunately, the likelihood of these abnormalities increases with age. For example, by performing a placental villi sampling between the 9th and 11th weeks of pregnancy, the presence of Down syndrome and Turner syndrome can be determined with 99% accuracy. Regarding the increased risk of miscarriage in old age, he says: “Miscarriage can occur at any age, but the risk of its occurrence is higher in pregnancies over the age of 35.”
According to experts, the risk of miscarriage is 20% higher in women over the age of 35 and 35% higher in women over the age of 45. She points out: “Women who become pregnant at the age of 35 or older are more likely to have an unwanted cesarean section. This is due to the high incidence of complications during childbirth at this age, such as excessive bleeding and prolonged labor, etc.”
Possibility of mental problems
She states: “Hormonal changes are the main reason for the occurrence of mental disorders which are seen in abundance in pregnant women.” However, the older the age of women is when they get pregnant, the more stress they will have and the possibility of mental problems increases. Therefore, mothers and especially those around the mother should be careful to avoid negative thoughts during this period. She clarifies: “Decline in egg quality is another problem that occurs in old age because as women get older, their fertility rate also decreases. This means that ovulation does not occur regularly.”
In general, egg quality also decreases between the ages of 30 and 40, and as a result, the risk of genetic complications increases, which is why a longer period of time is needed for fertility. She continues: “In addition to the fact that fertility decreases after the age of 35, women at this age face more fertility problems. So that an older couple is forced to wait many more years to have a child compared to a 20-year-old couple. Usually, young couples conceive within a few months, but this happens more slowly with age.”
Not everyone will have problems
Dr. Kalantari believes: “Despite all these possibilities regarding pregnancy at an older age, nothing is absolute. There are many women who take good care of their health and hygiene and thus remain younger and more vibrant than their actual age.” Regarding reproductive age, it cannot be said that all women will necessarily experience the problems mentioned after the age of 35. She continues: “Today, biological age is more important than birth certificate age. Some women are genetically able to get pregnant easily even at the age of 40, while others face more problems with fertility due to family history.” According to her, several factors, from healthy nutrition to balanced and regular physical activity, also play a role in this issue. Therefore, any woman who plans to become pregnant at an older age should take more care of her health than others and prepare herself to have a healthy child.
