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- $Unique_ID{BRK00853}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Will Age Past 35 Present Any Special Problems for Pregnancy?}
- $Subject{35 complications Pregnancy Childbirth problems placenta bleeding
- diabetes Down's syndrome baby babies Genetic counseling Cesarean prenatal care
- age aging biological clock}
- $Volume{K-0,T-0}
- $Log{}
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- Copyright (c) 1991-92,1993 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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- Will Age Past 35 Present Any Special Problems for Pregnancy?
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- QUESTION: My clock is ticking and I am past 35 now, and still looking forward
- to my first child. Will my age present any special problems for me?
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- ANSWER: Are you pregnant? If you are, get good obstetrical care now and your
- chances of producing a healthy baby are excellent. It is true that you are at
- increased risk for a number of complications, but with good care and
- counseling, you and your baby will do best.
- What kinds of problems does the older mother have? She may have problems
- with the placenta, bleeding and diabetes. More babies with Down's syndrome
- are born to older women (the incidence is one Down's baby in 1,923 for
- 20-year-old mothers and one in 225 for 37-year-old mothers). Genetic
- counseling can help parents deal with this and other problems. Older mothers
- are also more likely to have their babies by Cesarean section.
- If you are not yet pregnant, it may take you a bit longer to become
- pregnant than it would have taken you ten years ago. A baby girl is born with
- all her ovum (eggs) in place. If she conceives as a young woman, those eggs
- are healthier. If she waits several years to become pregnant, a higher
- percentage of those eggs are defective and may not be fertilized or may grow
- into babies with problems.
- You're not alone in having your first baby at "past 35." The U.S.
- Census Bureau tells us the number of births to women aged 35-44 will rise 46%
- by 1990. Good prenatal care, genetic counseling and delivery in a center with
- a capable newborn intensive care unit are all precautions the older mother is
- wise to take.
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- The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace
- the counsel and advice of your personal physician. Promptly consulting your
- doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical
- problem.
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