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Impact Of Late Motherhood on Children

by Medindia Content Team on May 5 2006 1:42 PM

Statistics from the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority show that recently there is a surge in the number of patients opting for assisted reproduction technology (ART) in the UK. It is astonishing to know that the average age of these women is 34. There is increase in women choosing to delay parenthood and subsequently seeking treatment for infertility. The doctors and scientists say that there are long-term risks associated to elderly mothers and their babies. But the elderly mothers say that they are healthier and fitter than many younger women.

But the clinicians say that their ageing eggs result in increased risks of chromosomal abnormalities in the offspring. The other problems added to late pregnancies are increased risk and difficulty to conceive, subsequent pregnancy loss, increased risk of problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, deep vein thrombosis and operative delivery. But these late mothers forget the chances of they dying before their children reach maturity and the near impossibility of providing the child with grandparents or contemporary siblings. The shortage of donors in the UK reveals the fact that many women go abroad and poor women in Eastern Europe are being exploited by foreign clinics. Most women pay only for their ART treatment. Hence the welfare of both the mother and the child should be kept in mind before taking any decision.


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