Recently, Taiwanese artists Weiqi Fan and Rene Liu were confirmed to be pregnant, aged 38 and 44 respectively. In medicine, first-time mothers over 35 years old are considered advanced mothers. As the physical condition of older mothers shows a downward trend, the incidence of fetal malformations and the risk of complications among older mothers increase.
So, what do older women need to pay special attention to? Do they have to choose a C-section?
The greatest risk for older mothers lies in their children
Due to various reasons, the age at which women give birth for the first time has increased significantly, and there are many elderly pregnant women around us who are first-time mothers at the age of 40. Zheng Zheng, an obstetrics and gynecology expert at the China-Japan Friendship Hospital, said that pregnant women over 35 years old are considered elderly. The biggest risk faced by older pregnant women is that their children have a significantly higher probability of suffering from genetic metabolic diseases. As we age, egg quality decreases and fertilized eggs may not divide completely, leading to an increased risk of congenital diseases such as trisomy 21 and trisomy 18. Pregnant women aged 35 years carry triploidy and are at risk of pregnancy before the age of 25 years. In addition, as the age of pregnant women increases, the risk of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and cholestatic syndrome increases, which increases the possibility of premature termination of pregnancy and iatrogenic premature birth. The probability of cesarean section is also greater. Increase. If older women want to become pregnant, they must make a series of preparations. In addition to checking heart, lung, liver, and kidney function, blood sugar, blood lipids, and thyroid function are also checked.
At the same time, prenatal check-up for older pregnant women is also very important. In addition to the routine examinations stipulated in perinatal health care guidelines, the following examinations cannot be ignored: first, amniocentesis to check fetal chromosomes, and umbilical cord blood puncture if necessary; fetal malformation screening is performed around 22 weeks; third, it is recommended to be done at 26 weeks Fetal echocardiography. An echocardiogram is different from the ordinary B-ultrasound often done by pregnant women. Ordinary B-ultrasound can basically only see the general structure of the four chambers of the fetal heart, and it is not easy to see subtle conditions such as abnormal development of large blood vessels and cardiac ejection function.
Cesarean section is not the only option for older women
Many older women find it difficult to give birth normally. Can older women only choose caesarean section?
Zheng Zheng said that although the skin and muscle elasticity of elderly mothers have decreased compared with young mothers, they still have the possibility of natural delivery and may not necessarily have a caesarean section. The final choice of delivery method mainly depends on the condition of the pregnant woman. Many pregnant women worry about the dangers of giving birth naturally. In fact, when it comes to childbirth risks, a 40-year-old mother is the same as a 25-year-old mother. Whether a caesarean section is needed, a 40-year-old mother follows the same indications as a 25-year-old mother. Experts suggest that even older mothers can give birth on their own if conditions permit. Confidence in women who are not indicated for caesarean section is important in being able to give birth on their own.
Relax your mind to avoid premature birth
In real life, we often see that older pregnant women tend to go to two extremes: oneShe was very nervous. She was \”pregnant\” very early, and the whole family regarded her as a star, which caused the pregnant woman to be highly nervous and prone to premature birth. The strong man type who was already late in pregnancy still insisted on working, running around all day long, and finally was tired and gave birth prematurely. Therefore, experts say that older pregnant women should neither be overly nervous nor careless, as long as they do regular prenatal check-ups like young pregnant women.
During pregnancy, elderly expectant mothers should pay attention to balanced nutrition and supplement vitamins and minerals; develop good living habits, regular work and rest, quit smoking and drinking, and not stay up late; improve the working environment and avoid all potentially harmful pollutants. In addition, you must take pregnancy tests on time. Beijing Times reporter Ye Zhou