Advanced Maternal Age - Geriatric Pregnancy

Advanced Maternal Age - Geriatric Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a beautiful and arduous experience for women, which they relish for a lifetime. However, the age at which women choose to bear a child is undergoing a drastic change. The reasons to embark on the path of motherhood might vary but it has resulted in increased rates of Geriatric Pregnancy. The term "Geriatric Pregnancy", also commonly called advanced maternal age, is coined to describe a person who bears a child above 30 years. Let's dive deeper to understand the adverse effects of advanced maternal, its causes, and precautions.

Causes of Delayed Pregnancy:

The causes or the factors of delayed pregnancy would differ from one person to another. However, the main causes that might lead to the advanced maternal age are:

Women have become more ambitious in fulfilling their personal and professional goals before they embark on the journey of motherhood.

The significant increase in reproductive technologies has also given rise to increased Geriatric Pregnancy rates, allowing women to focus on their personal and professional goals and conceive lately.

Financial stability might be one of the reasons, allowing them to earn sufficient money that would be used for the betterment of their child in the future. Also, delayed marriages can lead to delays in family planning, resulting in increased rates of Geriatric Pregnancy.

Risks : The risks that are associated with the increased rates of Geriatric Pregnancy are as follows:

Miscarriage and Delivery Complications: The delay in pregnancy can lead to a substantial increase in miscarriages and can often have adverse delivery complications. As a result, this would have an impact on the overall growth of the baby. For suppose, a baby born can be premature or can have low birth weight and there is also a possibility of undergoing a c-section.

Down syndrome : It is the most common issue that is associated with advanced maternal age, it happens when the child is born with an extra pair of chromosomes, impacting the child’s health and overall development at a later age.

Preeclampsia : Pregnant women of advanced maternal age can be more prone to preeclampsia. It is a condition that can impact overall organs in the body, causing damage to the liver and the kidneys.

Gestational diabetes and multiple pregnancies are the other risk factors that are associated with the increased rate of advanced maternal age.

Ways to overcome: The challenges associated with the advanced maternal age can be tackled by following the necessary steps such as -

Do regular health check-ups - Doing regular check-ups will help in identifying the underlying issues faced by the baby and the mother and aid in tackling them prior without causing any serious health risks.

Do non-invasive/invasive screenings - Non-invasive screenings will help in identifying any genetic conditions faced by the baby, whereas invasive screenings, which include CVS() and amniocentesis are often used to diagnose the severe health issues that are faced by the baby. To put it in simple terms, non-invasive is used for identifying whereas invasive is used for diagnosing genetic or congenital conditions.

Make changes in your lifestyle- Doing regular exercise, following the proper diet, and taking the necessary health care precautions will also play an important role in reducing the risks associated with advanced maternal age, which is often associated with certain health issues that shouldn't let women relish the journey of motherhood. Geriatric Pregnancy might be a challenging journey but following the precautions, doing regular health checkups, and consulting the health care professionals will be advantageous in overcoming the underlying issues associated with Geriatric Pregnancy. The mesmerizing and arduous journey takes leaps and bounds to traverse but it's a worthwhile odyssey.