Older Women Having Babies

637 Words2 Pages

Nicole is sitting in the doctor’s office for the first time. She is waiting patiently as the small round clock in the corner of the room ticks away at a snails pace. She suddenly hears footsteps coming from the other side of the door. Nicole puts her sweaty palms together as she sees the doctor enter the room with some blue papers in his hands. The doctor quickly looks at Nicole then turns away clearing his throat, “I have examined the test results that we just completed; you are pregnant but there are some complications.”
“Complications? What do you mean doctor? I’m healthy. I’ve been healthy all my life. I never had a problem getting pregnant. What could be the problem?”
“Well, you are pregnant with your first child at the age of 37. Therefore, you and your child are at a higher risk of many serious complications,” said the doctor.
Unfortunately, this scene took place in the lives of many well-educated healthy women in developed countries. “The rise of pregnancy rates among older women are far more dramatic today rather than in the past: rates for women ages 40 to 44 went up nearly 65 percent.”(DELL'ANTONIA) While many women today wait to finish school or start out a career then decide to get married, delaying their ability to have children until their late 30’s. Statistically, when a female is pregnant at an older age her medical condition needs to be monitored more closely. Older women having babies can cause complications before, during, and after birth, leading to a higher risk of miscarriages, chromosomal disorder, and Down syndrome.
“A miscarriage — in medical terms also called a spontaneous abortion — is the unplanned end of a pregnancy before 20 weeks gestation.” (" The Thinking Woman’s Website For Conception, Pre...

... middle of paper ...

...asting System, Inc, 22 Apr 2010. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
DELL'ANTONIA, KJ. "Pregnancy Rates Rise for Women Over 40." Adventures in Parenting . The New York Times Co., 20 Jun 2012. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
Floridon, Charlotte, and Niels Lund. The Age Factor. 2013. Chart. Netdoctor, London. Web. 7 Nov 2013.
"How Chromosome Abnormalities Happen." How Chromosome Abnormalities Happen. University of Rochester Medical Center, 07 Nov. 2013. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
"Pregnancy Over Age 30." Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia. Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, n. d. Web. 7 Nov. 2013.
Rodriguez, Monica. "Extra or Missing Chromosomes." The Tech Museum of Innovation. The Tech Museum of Innovation, 04 Oct 2007. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
"Miscarriage – What Is A Miscarriage And Why Do They Occur?." The Thinking Woman’s Website For Conception, Pregnancy, Birth and Baby. BellyBelly, n. d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.

Open Document