ByZarafshan Shiraz, New Delhi

While there isn't a ultimate age for having a baby, many ladies are eager to postpone their pregnancy journey till they've achieved sure profession milestones and monetary stability. Due to this, many ladies are additionally getting married later, which once more means the age at which they've a child is delayed.

Pregnancy after 35 years robotically places a girl within the “Advanced Maternal Age” (AMA) class. In an interview with HT Lifestyle, Dr Sangeeta Rodeo, Consultant-Gynecology and Obstetrics at Fortis Hospital in Mulund, shared, “While this label might be intimating it is essential to understand that successful pregnancy after 35 years is common, albeit with a few risks. With time, the chances of having a successful pregnancy can reduce as the egg reserve and its quality diminishes, along with hormonal changes. ”

According to her, some maternal and foetal dangers that girls within the AMA class may expertise embrace the next -

1. Infertility: As a girl approaches menopause, getting pregnant may get longer and more difficult. Why? Because a girl begins her life with a set variety of eggs, these scale back with time. Eggs can also be of lesser high quality as a girl ages, making them more durable to fertilise/implant.
2. Miscarriage: As the egg high quality decreases, the chance of miscarriage will increase. In addition, being pregnant loss can improve if the lady has current comorbidities like hypertension or Diabetes. Stillbirth is one other chance, so all prenatal appointments have to be maintained, particularly if the lady belongs to the AMA class.
3. Chromosome points: Older ladies are at the next danger of encountering chromosome points of their unborn youngster. For instance, the chance of getting a toddler with Down Syndrome is round 1 in 365 for girls aged 35 years. At age 45, this danger will increase to 1 in 40 years.
4. Gestational Diabetes and hypertension: A diabetic pregnant lady is prone to having a child that grows massive whereas nonetheless contained in the womb. In such a case, there's a excessive danger of damage at start or having a stillborn child. Additionally, hypertension (for the mother) may cause Preeclampsia and different issues (for the newborn).

Dr Sangeeta Rodeo highlighted, “Other complications include preterm labour, chromosomal abnormalities for the mother and intrauterine growth restrictions, prematurity, increased admission to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and Autism Spectrum Disorders in the baby. Further, women of advanced maternal age are likely to undergo induced labour and elective caesarean delivery. While the maternal age of the mother does matter when it comes to fertility, this is a grey area and can vary for every couple.”

She concluded, “It is equally important to remember that infertility and pregnancy complications can happen at any age and it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery even if a woman belongs to an advanced age category. Most importantly, a couple can look at a variety of other options for growing their family, like IVF, egg freezing and adoption. It is best to consult a Gynaecologist or specialist if you are having trouble conceiving or looking for options beyond natural conception.”