Pregnant people above the age of 35 are considered to be of “advanced maternal age.” However, contrary to popular belief, science says that parents of that age can have normal pregnancies and healthy children. Here is what experts share.
The Science
Juli Fraga, Psy.D, a psychologist based in San Francisco specializing in reproductive health, says that it’s fair to be anxious about later-age pregnancy; however, people at the age of 35 are normally healthy and can have children. She continues that despite all the fertility challenges that may occur, there are several ways to help families in having children, including IVF, donor eggs, and surrogacy.
This scientific conclusion goes against the old cultural message that people over the age of 35 should not have children, which, in most cases, is not true. This pre-pregnancy anxiety regarding the end of one’s fertility is more of a fear than a reality. Pregnancy outside the prime reproductive years does, however, carry a higher chance of complications, although modern medicine can help people overcome a variety of difficulties.
Late Pregnancy – The New Trend
More and more people are delaying having children until their older years. It’s a trend that is likely to continue. According to a study, the “over-35s” are the age group that is becoming parents at the quickest rates. Since 1990, the average age of people giving birth has grown, according to research. The median age at which people become pregnant in the US is now 26, up from 23 in 1994. In 1994, 53% of people in their early 40s had become parents by the age of 24, and by 2014, this proportion had dropped to 38%.
Safety is one of the greatest concerns surrounding “advanced parent age” pregnancies. While it’s true that conceiving after the age of 35 is associated with an increased risk of difficulties, such as gestational diabetes, hypertension, chromosomal abnormalities, and even miscarriage or stillbirth, many people nevertheless give birth to perfectly healthy children.
It’s common to believe that the only lasting effects of pregnancy are weight gain and stretch marks. However, it turns out that the hormone element can have unexpected effects later in life. One study published in a science journal discovered that the hormones that flood the body and brain during pregnancy are beneficial to those who have given birth. The last pregnancy beyond age 35 is favorably related to verbal memory.
Parents having children after the age of 35 is no longer regarded as unheard of. Parents at any age have every reason to assume they can have healthy children if they receive the necessary medical care and assistance.