By Michelle Barrett, Freelance Writer
Annette Dunn, left, and Gaudia Chevannes-Aquart, centre, listen to Marie Segré as she talks about her recent visit to the doctor. - Carlington Wilmot /Freelance Photographer
DELAYING MOTHERHOOD is increasingly becoming the norm in Jamaica and other parts of the world.
Kingston-based obstetrician/gynaecologist Dr. Errol Daley, says he has seen an increase in professional women who are over 35 and pregnant. Some of these women, he noted, especially those without partners, are turning to artificial insemination to become pregnant.
While being older offers some advantages -- the women are usually in a better position financially and are more emotionally prepared to care for a baby -- there are several risks involved in a pregnancy after age 35. When a woman becomes 35, her reproductive eggs become a little older and are not as healthy as when she was younger, said Dr. Daley. This simply means, he added, that achieving pregnancy becomes more difficult. Plus, "pregnancy after 35, carries a higher risk of having a baby with genetic abnormalities. It's likely she may develop high blood pressure, diabetes, or uterine fibroids, which is very common in black women. Chances of having a miscarriage also increases," he said.
INACTIVE WOMB
He also added that if the woman goes 10 to 15 years without having a child, her womb becomes inactive and is therefore likely to have a Caesarean delivery. The mother might also suffer from a condition known as Pre-eclampsia where her weight is affected and she starts to suffer from swelling. If this condition goes untreated, it will result in eclampsia, where the mother will have fits as a result of high blood pressure caused by this condition, making it dangerous for both mother and baby.
Dr. Daley further noted that because of the potential for problems doctors usually recommend that older women do tests such as amniocentesis where a sample of the amnio fluid is taken from around the foetus when it reaches 15-and-half weeks to determine its conditions. This sampling of amniotic fluid is sent to Miami, Florida, to analyse the chromosomes for abnormalities. Based on the results the woman can then determine whether she wants to continue with the pregnancy.
BEST AGE TO HAVE BABIES
The optimal age to have children is 25 to 35 years as the woman's body is said to be working at its best between those years. "The woman's reproductive system is at its peak then and she is more mature by the time she reaches the age of 25," said Dr. Daley.
Dr. Daley advises women who are over 35 and pregnant to visit their obstetrician more often as they may have a high-risk pregnancy. "These mothers need to be seen much more often than regular patients and they must pay close attention to their nutrition. They also need to take a lot of folic acid before getting pregnant and continue eating lots of it during pregnancy. This mineral can often be found in dark green leafy vegetables such as calaloo and pak choi," he emphasised.
