Pregnancy In Older Women

ntroduction

Men produce sperm continuously, so at age 80 a man's sperm have only a couple of months. Instead, the woman is born with the eggs will ovulate. So that at age 35 and their eggs are the same age and have been stored in the ovaries for that long. Like everything that is stored too long, sometimes defects occur in these eggs. These defects can lead to a miscarriage or a baby born with defects such as Down syndrome (also known as trisomy 21 or mongolism.

The risk of having a child with Down syndrome is 
1 per 1,000 before age 35 
1 x 400 for the 40 
1 x 105 for the 49 
1 x 12, after 50 years

It is important to understand that at any age can have a baby with this disease and risk always exists some n simply increases with age.

Amniocentesis

To prevent these problems early detection is performed by amniocentesis . Amniocentesis is a routine that is offered to all pregnant women, because the test carries a small risk of infection or abortion.

It is proposed when there is increased risk of chromosomal defects or genetic birth defects or certain malformations.

Amniocentesis is done by:

1. Maternal age. The most common of these disorders is Down syndrome, a combination of mental and physical abnormalities caused by the presence of an extra chromosome.
2. A child or previous pregnancy with birth defects.
3. Family history.
4. Suspected .- neural tube defects Neural tube defects (defects of the spine and brain, including spina bifida and anencephaly) can be diagnosed by measuring the level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)-a substance produced by the fetus in the liquid Amniotic. The measurement of AFP by amniocentesis is offered if there is a family history of neural tube defects, or if previous tests of AFP in the mother's blood indicated that the pregnancy is high risk.

Are There Ways To Reduce The Risk Of Birth Defects?

There are some basic things that all women can do to reduce these risks and improve their chances of having a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby:

1. Plan your pregnancy before it begins.
2. 0.4 milligrams of folic acid (this amount is found in most multivitamins) daily before pregnancy and during the first quarter, as it helps prevent neural tube defects.
3. Come early and regular prenatal care.
4. Eat a variety of nutritious foods.
5. Begin pregnancy at a healthy weight.
6. Do not smoke during pregnancy.
7. Do not drink alcohol during pregnancy.
8. Do not use any drugs or medications, unless recommended by your gynecologist.

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