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資料來源 Baby Centre, 文章內字體顏色不同者,按下會直接連結至說明網頁 
Overall, the risks faced by women over 35 during pregnancy have been exaggerated. Most pregnancies for women in this age group are uneventful and have a good outcome. Many recent well-designed studies have shown that in healthy women, the absolute risks of delaying pregnancy are low, even though being over 35 is associated with an increased risk of certain pregnancy complications. This is partly because it’s not just your age that matters; your health before you conceive matters too. That's good news, because it's something you can control.
There is good evidence that older women are more likely to have or develop certain medical conditions during pregnancy, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and placenta praevia. These conditions may have serious consequences for your pregnancy and require closer monitoring.
But even with the risk of such problems, which increases the older you are, these and other studies of pregnancy in women over 35 find that the outcome for the mother and baby is still good in the majority of cases; the risks of stillbirth are higher for older women but the absolute rates are still very, very low. This is because the complications common to older women are ones which modern maternity units can take in their stride.
By working with your maternity care team and taking steps, such as controlling your diet if you are diabetic or overweight, you can help reduce the risks for yourself and your baby.
Another problem is that the odds of having a baby with a genetic defect increase as you get older. Figures from the Office of National Statistics for 2005, show that the risk of having a baby with a genetic abnormality such as Down's syndrome rises from 2 per 1,000 births at ages 35-39 years, to 4 per 1,000 at age 40-44 years up to 14 per 1,000 at age 45 years or over. If you're almost, or over 40, you should strongly consider genetic testing because the risk of genetic problems increases significantly.
Because chromosomal abnormalities are the most common reason for miscarriage, the risk of miscarriage also increases with age. It has also been suggested that higher rates of stillbirth for women over 35 could also be attributable in some part to chromosomal abnormalities.
Lastly, an increased incidence of induction of labour, instrumental delivery and delivery by caesarean section has been found for women over 35 in the UK, though the exact reasons for this are not clear. It could be due to lower threshold for intervention on the part of obstetricians.
It's a good idea for any woman considering getting pregnant to meet with her doctor for a thorough preconception consultation. A detailed medical and family history of both prospective parents can identify conditions that might affect the health of mother and baby. Plus it's an opportunity to check out your physical readiness for pregnancy and get some blood tests, such as for rubella immunity, and screening tests, such as a cervical smear, carried out before you get pregnant. Then you can take any steps necessary, as a result of the tests, to get yourself in the best of health before you conceive.
Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle for women over the age of 35 may be getting pregnant. A woman hits her peak fertility between the ages of 20 and 24. In women aged 35 to 39, fertility is at least one quarter less. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's Your guide to infertility states: "Figures suggest that 94 per cent of women aged 35 years and 77 per cent of women aged 38 years will conceive after three years of trying".
Even with infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilisation, women have more problems conceiving as they age. It’s advisable to seek help sooner rather than later if you’re over 35 and having problems conceiving.
Once you've considered these issues, you can concentrate on the same things that should accompany a healthy pregnancy at any age: good antenatal care, a well-balanced diet, emotional and financial preparation for the child you'll care for over the next 18 years.
Many women who have delayed pregnancy until they're over 35 are surprised to find that, given generally good health, they're not much more likely than younger women to have serious complications, and the vast majority end up having healthy babies.
Overall, the risks faced by women over 35 during pregnancy have been exaggerated. Most pregnancies for women in this age group are uneventful and have a good outcome. Many recent well-designed studies have shown that in healthy women, the absolute risks of delaying pregnancy are low, even though being over 35 is associated with an increased risk of certain pregnancy complications. This is partly because it’s not just your age that matters; your health before you conceive matters too. That's good news, because it's something you can control.
There is good evidence that older women are more likely to have or develop certain medical conditions during pregnancy, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and placenta praevia. These conditions may have serious consequences for your pregnancy and require closer monitoring.
But even with the risk of such problems, which increases the older you are, these and other studies of pregnancy in women over 35 find that the outcome for the mother and baby is still good in the majority of cases; the risks of stillbirth are higher for older women but the absolute rates are still very, very low. This is because the complications common to older women are ones which modern maternity units can take in their stride.
By working with your maternity care team and taking steps, such as controlling your diet if you are diabetic or overweight, you can help reduce the risks for yourself and your baby.
Another problem is that the odds of having a baby with a genetic defect increase as you get older. Figures from the Office of National Statistics for 2005, show that the risk of having a baby with a genetic abnormality such as Down's syndrome rises from 2 per 1,000 births at ages 35-39 years, to 4 per 1,000 at age 40-44 years up to 14 per 1,000 at age 45 years or over. If you're almost, or over 40, you should strongly consider genetic testing because the risk of genetic problems increases significantly.
Because chromosomal abnormalities are the most common reason for miscarriage, the risk of miscarriage also increases with age. It has also been suggested that higher rates of stillbirth for women over 35 could also be attributable in some part to chromosomal abnormalities.
Lastly, an increased incidence of induction of labour, instrumental delivery and delivery by caesarean section has been found for women over 35 in the UK, though the exact reasons for this are not clear. It could be due to lower threshold for intervention on the part of obstetricians.
It's a good idea for any woman considering getting pregnant to meet with her doctor for a thorough preconception consultation. A detailed medical and family history of both prospective parents can identify conditions that might affect the health of mother and baby. Plus it's an opportunity to check out your physical readiness for pregnancy and get some blood tests, such as for rubella immunity, and screening tests, such as a cervical smear, carried out before you get pregnant. Then you can take any steps necessary, as a result of the tests, to get yourself in the best of health before you conceive.
Unfortunately, the biggest obstacle for women over the age of 35 may be getting pregnant. A woman hits her peak fertility between the ages of 20 and 24. In women aged 35 to 39, fertility is at least one quarter less. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's Your guide to infertility states: "Figures suggest that 94 per cent of women aged 35 years and 77 per cent of women aged 38 years will conceive after three years of trying".
Even with infertility treatments such as in vitro fertilisation, women have more problems conceiving as they age. It’s advisable to seek help sooner rather than later if you’re over 35 and having problems conceiving.
Once you've considered these issues, you can concentrate on the same things that should accompany a healthy pregnancy at any age: good antenatal care, a well-balanced diet, emotional and financial preparation for the child you'll care for over the next 18 years.
Many women who have delayed pregnancy until they're over 35 are surprised to find that, given generally good health, they're not much more likely than younger women to have serious complications, and the vast majority end up having healthy babies.
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