Pregnancy Over 40 Risks

Pregnancy is somewhat risky at any age. Pregnancy over 40 risks are much higher. Not only is it much harder to get pregnant over 40 its also much harder to stay pregnant. Miscarriage rates in a 40-year-old woman are about 25%. They are only 10% - 15% for a woman under 30. Other pregnancy over 40 risks include preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and a higher risk of giving birth to a baby with Down Syndrome. An embryo that isnt dividing properly usually causes miscarriage. The body recognizes that the embryo isnt viable and takes care of it by inducing period like bleeding. In other words the walls of the uterus shed just like they do during a period. The reason this is more common in an over 40 woman is that her eggs are aged. When a woman is young most of her eggs are good and her chance of pregnancy is high if she has intercourse during the fertile window. As a woman ages so does her eggs. In the 5 to 10 years before menopause almost all of the eggs ovulated will not be viable. This is why miscarriage and infertility are common pregnancy over 40 risks. Preeclampsia is a fairly common complication of pregnancy. It can happen to pregnant women at any age but is more common in older mothers and women who are obese. It causes a sharp rise in blood pressure and a large amount of water retention. Its symptoms include excess protein in the urine, abdominal pain and sudden weight gain from the fluid retention. These symptoms are serious pregnancy over 40 risks for both the mother and baby. Down Syndrome is pretty rare overall. In a woman under 30 the risk is about 1 in 1,000. By the time a woman is 40 that risk is more like 1 in 35. Again, this is due to egg quality. The egg that produces the Down Syndrome baby is chromatically abnormal. Most doctors encourage pregnant women who are over 35 to be screened for Down Syndrome. This is one of the pregnancy over 40 risks that can have serious and lifelong consequences for both parents and baby. Screening can help the parents prepare in the event of a child with Down Syndrome being born.