The Risks Of Pregnancy After 35

Complications That May Arise With Pregnancy Later in Life

Oct 14, 2009

There are increased risks associated with pregnancy over 35. With pregnancy becoming more popular later in life, it's important to know the risks.

Nowadays, pregnancy after 35 is becoming more prevalent. More women are choosing to wait until later in life to have children, for various reasons. As such, it is important to know that pregnancy after 35 becomes more difficult and is associated with higher risks.

A woman's fertility declines as she approaches her 30s. In addition, pregnancy after 35 poses a higher risk for certain pregnancy complications. A decline in fertility in pregnancy after 35 may be due to the following factors:

Complications in pregnancy that an older woman has a higher risk of dealing with include:

Higher Risk Of Miscarriage

Studies suggest that the risk of miscarriage is higher in women over the age of 35 than in pregnant women under this age. The older the woman gets, the higher her chances of miscarrying the pregnancy. The risk of miscarriage is normally between 12-15%. This number increases with age, as it is about 25% in women over 35 (socalfertility.com). The reason for this is that there is a higher incidence of chromosomal abnormalities in eggs associated with older women.

Birth Defects Associated With Pregnancy After 35

Another increased risk associated with pregnancy later in life are birth defects. The risk of giving birth to a baby with disorders increases as the woman ages. This may be due to a disorder called "nondisjunction," in which the egg divides abnormally (MedicineNet.com). What ends up happening with nondisjunction is that unequal chromosomes will result.

Babies Born With Down Syndrome

Down Syndrome is much more common in pregnancies where the mother is over the age of 35. As the age of the mother increases, so does her risk of giving birth to a baby with Down Syndrome (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development). The following chart shows the chances of this happening at various stages of life:

Prenatal Tests For Women Over 35

Since women over 35 are more susceptible to pregnancy complications and babies with birth defects, certain tests may be recommended. These tests are meant to detect disorders with the pregnancy. None of these tests are mandatory, but are generally recommended by most practitioners. These tests include:

This is a blood test that is performed between the 15th and 20th weeks of pregnancy. Substances in the blood sample are measured to screen for problems with the fetus. The development of the baby's brain, spinal cord, and neural tube is analyzed, and problems such as spina bifida can be detected. The quad marker screen can detect about 75-80% of neural tube defects (Cleveland Clinic).

The quad marker screen can also detect the presence of Down syndrome about 75% of the time in women under 35, and 80% of the time in women over 35.

This is a test done between the 10th and 14th weeks of pregnancy, and is used together with an ultrasound to measure the thickness of the back of the baby's neck. It tests for chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down syndrome (Pacific Center For Reproductive Medicine).

This is a procedure in which a small amount of amniotic fluid is removed from the sac that surrounds the baby. This fluid is then analyzed to detect any birth defects. An amniocentesis can detect birth defects such as sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida or Down syndrome (MedicinePlus Encyclopedia).

A small sample of cells - called chorionic villi - is taken from the placenta at the point of attachment to the wall of the uterus. Since these chorionic villi have the same genes as the baby, birth defects may be detected from analyzing them.

It is important to know that some of these prenatal tests have a very small chance of inducing miscarriage, such as an amniocentesis. In pregnant women over 35 who are offered these tests, it is important to discuss the pros and cons of performing any of these tests.

For more pregnancy-related information, please visit: www.complete-pregnancy-guide.com

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