Pregnancy after 40: what are the risks?

Longer studies, career highlighted, contraception controlled ... All these reasons explain later pregnancies. But with age, the risks increase.

What do you late pregnancy?

Before, there was talk of late pregnancy to 35 years but now it's more after 40 years. We consider these as ultra-late pregnancy after age 45.

What are the risks of pregnancy at that age?
The risks are different for the mother if she uses a donor egg or if it is a spontaneous pregnancy.


 In case this is her own eggs, then aged oocytes, the risk of miscarriage, diabetes and maternal mortality are increased.

 For women who use donated eggs, then the oocytes of younger women, the risks are still present. Always monitor diabetes and preeclampsia.

 It should also be noted that at the time of delivery, the number of caesarean sections increased with age of the mother.

 Tobacco also has implications for pregnancy, but at any age. In addition to accelerating menopause two years, smoking can lead to hypertrophy in infants.

And regarding the baby? 

There is an increased mortality in utero in the last weeks of late pregnancy. Preterm infant also increases with maternal age, the baby often has a low weight. But it can also be completely the opposite: it can reach a high weight ... Babies born to mothers over 40 years are often at the extremes of their weight.

Pregnancy after age 40 therefore requires a special medical supervision?

Late pregnancy is prompted as much assistance. Monitoring is different than medicalized pregnancy at 20 or 30 years. As noted previously, the risk increases with age. Despite appearances, the women over 40 are more tired and need to be more vigilant with small signs such as contractions. During pregnancy, they should get tested for diabetes, to ensure they do not suffer from gestational diabetes, and screening for trisomy 21.

Why do some women expect quarantine to have a child?

We note that pregnancies after age 40 increases in general for several reasons: the desire for children comes later, the programs are longer, the career has become very important for women, contraception is under control ...
The difference at this age is that the child may be the result of a second marriage is a love child. Many patients speak miracle of pregnancy ... This is obviously very touching but it should still be aware that these later pregnancies are at risk.

After 40 years, medical monitoring is more important.

After 40 years, medical monitoring is more important.
Yet the media often report stories of pregnancies fifties or celebrity pregnant after 40 years ...

The media should stop glorifying the bellies of their women over 50 years, because you really insist that it is never easy pregnancies. And it encourages the myth of eternal youth. Many celebrities are pregnant after age 40 but those who have used donated eggs do not say never.

Do you think there is a lack of information on the risks of late pregnancy?

There is especially a denial of knowledge and to recognize that after 35 years it is harder to get pregnant. And even if there can be, are rarely spontaneous pregnancies after age 45. These women often resort to medically assisted reproduction, including egg donation. We always see in magazines of women resplendent after 40 years but the reality is different: at this age, it is very difficult to have a baby. And it is growing and taking more time over the years. It is important to note that we do not get pregnant, you become one!