Pregnancy After 35 Overview
One of the most common high-risk pregnancy factors is advanced maternal age, or pregnancy after 35, even though many people associate the term “high-risk pregnancy,” with inherent health conditions relating to the mother.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the number of expectant mothers in their forties has continued to increase in the last three decades. Because these women are over the age of 35, their pregnancies are considered high-risk. While many women of advanced maternal age have healthy babies, it is advised that women over the age of 35 seek care from a specialist if they are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.
Women of advanced maternal age are at increased risk of preterm labor and preterm birth, potentially causing the baby short-term and long-term health problems. Additionally, women who are in their thirties are more likely to need a cesarean delivery than women who are in their twenties. They are also more likely to have a baby affected by a genetic disorder. While being of advanced maternal age is considered a risk of its own, pregnancy after 35 may also have additional risk factors that need to be monitored. These might include:
- Heart or kidney disease
- Hypertension (high blood pressure)
- Gestational Diabetes
- Multiple-birth pregnancy
- Seizure disorders
- Blood clotting disorders
- Preeclampsia (toxemia)
- Infectious diseases
- Repetitive pregnancy loss
- Suspected abnormal fetal growth