Risks Of A Pregnancy At Age 40

There are 40-year-old women who are new to this process of getting pregnant. Although the chances of getting pregnant are low, it’s important that they know the risks of a 40-year-old pregnancy.

Women tend to plan their pregnancies in an age group that varies between the period of twenty to thirty years.  However, for professional, economic or personal reasons, the delay of motherhood becomes a topic that gives a lot to talk about.

Main risks of pregnancy at 40

Increased appearance of genetic abnormalities

As women get older, their eggs no longer have the ability to divide easily. At this point, genetic problems tend to be more recurrent in babies. The most common is Down syndrome.

This condition is caused by an error in cell division that begins with the formation of the egg or sperm. As a result, the embryo acquires an additional third chromosome XXI. This syndrome causes mental retardation and severe heart disease.

When pregnant women are under forty years of age, the percentage of incidence of these conditions is less than one per thousand women. For those over forty, the risk increases to one in one hundred and five women.

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Pre eclampsia

It is a medical complication associated with high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine. The risk increases after the twentieth week of pregnancy. The woman has inflammation of the face and hands, which damages her nervous system and causes seizures, strokes, among others.

Arterial hypertension

High blood pressure affects the baby. Most of the time,  this problem occurs towards the end of the second trimester of pregnancy. If the symptoms are recurrent, it can lead to an induced delivery.

Risks during the process

Infertility

Sometimes infertility is caused by physical hormonal problems (ovulation), sudden and drastic change in lifestyle and environmental factors.

However,  the most recurrent problem is premature ovarian failure,  where the function of the ovaries is eradicated before the natural onset of menopause. Another reason is polycystic ovary syndrome which prevents the release of mature eggs.

Other types of conditions that contribute to infertility are: tumors in the uterus, endometriosis and blockage of the fallopian tubes.

Gestational diabetes

It is caused by a metabolic change during pregnancy. The most serious consequences are urinary infections, weight gain and premature birth.

Problems during pregnancy

As mentioned earlier, women over forty are more likely to develop gestational diabetes and increased blood pressure.  Along with this, there is a higher percentage of damage to the placenta, or they are more likely to experience abnormal bleeding during delivery (or even before).

See also: Sleeping on your side in the last trimester of pregnancy can reduce the risk of stillbirth

Risks during childbirth

Premature birth

One of the main risks of a pregnancy at 40 is premature birth. The main risk is the baby’s death, but it does not rule out or ignore the consequences that could result if the newborn survives, for example, deafness, blindness or cerebral palsy.

Cesarean or instrumented delivery

In the case of late motherhood, the second stage of pregnancy is very prolonged, therefore, normal births require aggressive instruments (suction cups or forceps) that result in a cesarean section.

Abortion

This risk is characterized by death and spontaneous expulsion of the fetus before the age of five months. According to a study by Clínica Tambre, in women between 20 and 24 years of age, the risk of having an abortion is 11%; between 25 and 29 years, the risk increases to 12%; and between 30 and 34 years, the risk increases to 15%.

However, when the age group of thirty-five is over, the risk increases considerably to 25% and, for women over the age of forty, it reaches almost 95%. In general, the complications that can develop during a pregnancy at age forty do not always take place.