Down Syndrome in Babies
Written on March 23, 2009 by steven
More than half of the average American woman’s expected life span is spent between menarche(first menses) and menopause(last menses), a period of approximately 40 years. During this 40-year period, she must make many decisions regarding her reproductive health. Deciding if and when to have children, as well as how to prevent pregnancy when necessary, are long-term concerns.
Today, a woman over 35 who is pregnant has plenty of company. While births to women in their 20s are declining, the rate of first births to women between the ages of 30 and 39 has doubled in the past decade, and births to women over 39 have increased by more than 50 percent. Many women who wait until their 30s to consider having a child find themselves wondering, “Am I too old to have a baby?” Researchers believe that there is a decline in both the quality and viability of eggs produced after age 35. Statistically, the chances of having a baby with birth defects do rise after the age of 35. Down syndrome, a condition characterized by mild to severe mental retardation and a variety of physical abnormalities, is the most commonly occurring genetic condition. One in every 800 to 1,000 live births a year is a child with Down syndrome, representing approximately 5,000 births per year in the United States alone. A common myth is that most children with Down syndrome are born to older parents. The truth is that 80 percent of children born with Down syndrome are born to women younger than 35 years of age. However, the incidence of births of children with Down syndrome increases with age. The incidence of Down syndrome in babies born to a mother aged 20 is 1 in 10,000 births; it rises to 1 in 400 by age 35, to 1 in 110 by age 40, and to 1 in 35 when she is.
Women who choose to delay motherhood until their late 30s also worry about their physical ability to carry and deliver their babies. For these women, a comprehensive exercise program will assist in maintaining good posture and promoting a successful delivery.
There are some advantages to having a baby later in life. In fact, many doctors are encouraging older women to become pregnant because they find that these women tend to be more conscientious about following medical advice during pregnancy and more psychologically mature and ready to include an infant in their family than are some younger women.
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