How old is considered an advanced maternal age? Is it better for an advanced maternal age mother to have a natural birth or a caesarean section?

Many women have to have children in their 30s due to many issues such as late marriage or second child. However, this is already past the best age for conception. Therefore, we must be especially careful in all aspects. So, what concerns should older mothers consider?

How old is considered advanced maternal age?

Pregnant women over 35 years old are called elderly pregnant women. The risks of their pregnancy can be divided into two aspects: The probability of fetal abnormalities will increase. The function of female ovaries will gradually decline after the age of 35, which will lead to a decrease in egg quality, thereby reducing the chance of pregnancy, increasing the miscarriage rate, and the incidence of fetal malformations; The incidence of complications of pregnant women is significantly increased. Elderly women suffer from hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia and other medical diseases more often, which are called pregnancy complications during pregnancy. The probability of elderly pregnant women developing pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome and gestational diabetes during pregnancy will also increase. For example, gestational diabetes can lead to macrosomia and increase the chance of cesarean section. Therefore, elderly pregnant women are clinically classified as high-risk pregnancies and are the key population for perinatal care. It is recommended to go to the hospital's specialist clinic for examination.

Is it better for older mothers to have a natural birth or a caesarean section?

Advanced age is not a necessary condition for cesarean section, but considering all factors, the cervix of older mothers is generally tougher, making natural childbirth difficult, so cesarean section is more common among older mothers. In addition, because of the high-risk factors, older mothers have more cesarean sections for safety reasons.

In addition, older mothers are most likely to have prolonged labor or dystocia. This is because when a woman reaches middle age, the joints of her ischium, pubic bone, ilium and cuboid bone have basically ossified, forming a fixed pelvic cavity. Therefore, when the fetus is delivered, it is easy to cause labor difficulties, which greatly increases the risk of various complications for the mother herself; it is also very easy to cause the fetus to be retained in the uterus and cause fetal distress.

This kind of distress is threatening to the fetus. In mild cases, it can affect the fetus's heart and brain ischemia and hypoxia, and even lead to irreversible brain damage. In severe cases, it can cause fatal suffocation. The main complication of elderly primiparas is pregnancy-induced hypertension, which can easily affect the health and life of the mother and fetus, and should be prevented as early as possible. If there are other diseases, it can lead to premature degeneration of placental function, which is more detrimental to the fetus. These should be taken seriously.

In view of the fact that the above-mentioned symptoms may occur in older primiparas, older primiparas and their families must not be complacent but should have a pragmatic attitude and take specific countermeasures according to their own circumstances to prevent problems before they occur.

Time for first checkup for older pregnant women

The first prenatal checkup for older mothers should be done earlier. Normally, the first checkup for pregnant mothers is when they are 12-13 weeks pregnant. If pregnant mothers have the following conditions, they should go to the hospital for a checkup in time, rather than waiting until the 12th week of pregnancy.

1. Pregnant women with adverse birth history: Pregnant women with a history of miscarriage, embryo arrest, or fetal malformation;

2. Abnormal conditions occur: such as vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain, severe nausea and vomiting, etc.

3. Taking medications during pregnancy or suspecting that you have been exposed to adverse factors that may harm the fetus, such as radioactive substances.

4. Older pregnant women or those with a family history of genetic diseases.