For a long time doctors considered women over the age of 35 are part of a special risk group as getting pregnant is concerned. However, according to the latest studies in the field, the risk zone has to be extended to younger women as well. In fact, in the moment a woman leaves her 20s, she enters into a new risk zone.
Basis for studies
It is a known fact that in the wealthiest countries, women give birth at later ages. This shift in trend led to an increase rate of preterm births. In the same time the number of stillbirths has also increased. In order to perform the study, the specialists used information from Norwegian and Swedish registers. They gathered information about over 1 million women in a time frame of 20 years, between 1990 and 2010.
The process
In order to achieve accurate results, the odds have been adjusted for given categories, like moderately preterm birth, very preterm birth, low Apgar score, small for gestational age, neonatal death, and fetal death. The specialists also divided the mothers into four groups: 25 to 29, 30 to 34, 35 to 39 and those over 40.
Findings
In the past the women belonging to the 30 to 34 group have not been considered a risk group, the results of the study indicate a different situation. Compared to the group of 25 to 29, these women seemed to have increased chances of having a premature birth and of having stillbirth.
Risk factors
Naturally age isn’t the only risk factor that needs to be taken into consideration. There are some other factors as well, such as smoking and obesity that increase the risks of complications. The specialists have been surprised to find that the risks are increased even for the younger women.
Conclusions
The truth is that at an individual level, the risks of women of having complications is small, but on society levels there is a large number of women over the age of 30 who have complications. This is why it might be important to educate both women and men, even in school, about the importance of age when it comes to childbirth. There is a need to raise awareness regarding the problem to avoid future complications.
In case you would like to have children as well, you have to consider the age at which you would like this life changing event to happen, considering the latest findings.
