Every woman is born with a certain egg reserve. A woman who produces an average of one egg every month starting from puberty, has a reduced egg reserve with age. Of course, aging is not the only reason for a woman's egg reserve to decrease; however, illnesses, medications, unbalanced diet, and the use of harmful substances such as smoking and alcohol also cause a woman's egg reserve to decrease rapidly. For all these and similar reasons, the chances of a woman with ovulation problems and a reduced egg reserve to conceive naturally decreases at an older age, and even if she does conceive , some difficulties may occur. However, especially in the last 10-15 years, the increase in women's educational opportunities and therefore their job and career opportunities has resulted in women postponing having a baby. The most productive period for fertility, the 20-30 age range, is spent with job and career efforts, and women only find the opportunity to have a baby between the ages of 32-35. In addition to all these, the increase in medical opportunities, technology and infertility treatment providing advanced success are also important factors in easily postponing pregnancy.
What is the advanced age for pregnancy?
The ages when fertility functions are most active are between 20-30. After the age of 30, women's reproductive cells begin to decrease rapidly, and after the age of 35, it is difficult to achieve pregnancy naturally. However, it is possible to get pregnant by using assisted reproduction treatment methods. In this context, it is possible to say that over 35 is an advanced age for pregnancy. 35 is not an age that is sharply underlined for pregnancy. For example, it is not surprising that a 38-year-old woman can conceive naturally, have a healthy pregnancy, and give birth to a healthy baby. The age determined here represents an average period of time, and in this parallel, the woman's biological, genetic, physical and spiritual characteristics and infrastructure are also very important.
What are the negative effects of advancing age on pregnancy?
Older women have a higher risk of hypertension and diabetes
People with chronic diseases increase their illnesses every passing day, and advancing age also triggers this increase. Although there are no symptoms of the disease in people with hypertension and diabetes in their family and blood relatives during their youth, symptoms and complaints appear in later ages. Moreover, when these diseases begin to appear and pregnancy occurs, these illnesses have a much more severe effect and negatively affect not only the mother but also the baby. The frequency of chronic hypertension and diabetes in pregnant women over the age of 35 is on average 3 times higher than in young pregnant women. In addition to all this, it is also known that diabetes and hypertension in pregnant women at an older age cause developmental delays in the baby.
Women who become pregnant at an older age are more likely to have babies with congenital anomalies
If women who carry certain genetic disorders become pregnant at an older age, there is a high probability that their babies will have chromosomal abnormalities. The most common congenital anomaly in babies of older mothers is Down Syndrome, a chromosomal disorder.
The risk of miscarriage in older ages is approximately 4 times higher than in younger ages.
The probability of chromosomal abnormalities in babies of women who get pregnant at an advanced age is high, and in this context, the rate of miscarriages also increases. Because one of the most important causes of miscarriage during pregnancy is the chromosomal disorders that exist in the woman. As a result, it is possible to say that there is a positive relationship between pregnancies at an advanced age and miscarriage.
There is a high probability of ectopic pregnancy in older pregnancies.
As a woman ages, the mobility in the tubes decreases and the tubes may have become deformed or damaged due to surgeries or illnesses during this period. In this case, the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy increases. In fact, it is possible to say that the rate of ectopic pregnancy in those who become pregnant over the age of 35 is approximately 3 times higher than in younger pregnant women.
Maternal and infant deaths are more common in advanced age pregnancies
Although medical technology offers endless and limitless possibilities, pregnancy is difficult for women who become deformed, damaged, and metabolically weaker with age. The body of an older woman cannot withstand the difficulties of pregnancy or has difficulty sustaining the life of the baby due to illnesses transmitted from mother to baby. In parallel, maternal and infant deaths during pregnancy, birth, or postpartum are much higher in older pregnancies.
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