The Dangers Of Having Children Too Old
By Anna Collins
6 months ago
1. It's getting harder to get pregnant
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One of the biggest dangers of having children too old is the fact that a woman's fertility drops by a considerable amount as she gets older. While it's very likely for a woman age 30 and below to fall pregnant, this falls around 15 percent from 35 onwards, and after 40 it decreases again!2. The risk of miscarriage is higher
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Statistics also sadly show that the miscarriage rate for women increases increasingly with age. It becomes more and more dangerous the older a woman gets because the likelihood of a pregnancy reaching full term lowers dramatically with increasing age.3. There's more risk of high blood pressure
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Older women are also more likely to suffer from high blood pressure which can be super dangerous for the baby. It's one of the biggest physical risks of being an older woman and having a baby. Again, the higher the age of the women, the more the risk of high blood pressure increases, however, it all depends on the individual!4. Gestational diabetes is more likely
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Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. It affects how your body processes sugars. It can lead to problems in both mother and baby and the risk of it increases with age, so it's a danger to consider for an older woman during pregnancy.5. Risks of genetic disorders increase
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As women get older, their risks during pregnancy and the risk of genetic disorders increase. For example, the risk of chromosomal abnormalities increases. For example, in older mothers, the likelihood of a baby having Down Syndrome increases. For example at the age of 25, the likelihood is 1 in 1,250 but for a mother over the age of 40, the chances are 1 in 100.6. Older parents can face more health risks
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Another danger to consider for older mothers during pregnancy is that both the stage of pregnancy and the stage of birth come with an increased risk. During the whole stage from conception to birth, there are more chances that the mother will face complications.7. There's more chance of giving birth prematurely
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It's also more likely for an older woman giving birth to give birth prematurely. A premature baby may struggle more and may have to have medical assistance to keep them healthy and to continue their growth until they are ready. Premature babies face more health risks.8. The baby may weigh less
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Older mothers statistically are more likely to give birth to babies with a lower weight. While this may sometimes not be a cause for concern, if the baby is too small it can mean that they do not have as much strength to fight off things such as infections.9. Less energy for the child
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There are also many more practical considerations to take into consideration. There is a danger that an older mother will not have the same energy to give to their child. Raising a baby and a child is the hardest job ever and it requires bucketloads of energy!10. There's less support from grandparents
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The older a parent is having a child, the older the grandparent will be. Grandparents of a certain age will not be able to give the emotional or physical support that a younger grandparent could. It means that the support system around the parents may be much less!11. The child is more likely to have developmental problems
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As a woman gets older the danger of the baby having development problems increases. For example, the baby may be more likely to have learning disabilities or neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. Speech and language are also something that can be delayed according to stats!12. There may be less time with the child
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There's also the very real danger that the parent may have less time with their child. The older the parent is when they have a baby, the more likely they are to experience less time with their child as they are already at a mature age. Of course, this depends on the health of the individual too!13. Higher risk of postpartum depression
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Postpartum or post-natal depression is a mental health condition that can affect women after giving birth. It's a very serious issue amongst mothers and it can be common. But, statistics do suggest that older woman are even more likely to suffer from post-natal depression after the birth of their baby.14. Recovery from birth can be longer
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A younger woman giving birth is more likely to heal quicker. Their body can repair itself faster and the elasticity in their body can also make the physical appearance of the body recover faster. For older women, their recovery rate can take much longer after birth!15. Parents may be less able to cope with sleep deprivation
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Younger women can cope more with a lack of sleep, due to their bodies and minds recovering faster and being more able to adapt. Their psychological resilience allows them to cope with stress and sleep deprivation better than an older mother may be able to manage.16. Birth is more dangerous for the mother
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In medical terms, a mother aged 35 or above is classed as having an 'advanced maternal age' which is associated with having more risk at birth. For example, the instances of there having to be interventions at birth increase as the age of the mother increases.17. Generational gaps can feel hard to navigate
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From one generation to the next it can feel like the world is advancing in leaps and bounds and it gets difficult to keep up with new trends. Older parents report feeling these generational gaps more because they are further removed from their child's world.18. less people are going through the same thing to offer support
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Another danger is that older parents can risk feeling isolated. This is because there will be fewer people going through the same thing at the same age. So for example, some parents feel as though they cannot make friends with babies as easily, due to them being older.19. Facing the social stigma
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Social stigma is never a reason not to have children as an older adult, but it can affect how you feel. Parents have discussed feeling that they faced stigma when they had babies at an older age. For example, some older parents are assumed to be 'grandparents'.20. Caesarean delivery is most common
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Cesarean births are surgical procedures where the baby is delivered through an incision in the mother's abdomen and uterus. For older women, the risk of a natural birth decreases because it can be more dangerous. So it is more likely that a C-section may be necessary.21. Chances of having more than one baby increases
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Chances of expecting twins or triplets increase with a woman's age due to changes in the structure of DNA. However, the risks increase with multiple births because it increases the complexities and complications that can arise. For example, they are more likely to be born preterm.22. Being less physically able to look after the child
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It's no secret that as we get older, our physical capabilities start to decline. Individuals can do a lot to maintain their physical health, but generally as older parents the dangers of not being able to physically look after your child increase. For example, carrying them or running after them.23. Parenting style differences
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Parenting styles vary from generation to generation and new studies and new ways of thinking arise. So you may find that an older parent has a very different style of parenting to someone of the younger generation. This doesn't matter, but difficulties could arise socially.24. The child has to face loss at a younger age
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There are also impacts on the child that have to be considered. When parents have babies at an older age, the child will have to face loss at a younger age. For example, the people around them will be older and they will have to come to terms with people passing say at a much younger age.25. Differences in life stages with peers
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As the child of a younger parent grows up, they are going to notice that their way of life is very different from their peer. Their experiences and life stages will differ a lot from the majority of those around them. This is a social consideration to bear in mind for the child.26. Financial struggles
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As an ageing adult the time until retirement gets closer and closer. But retirement can offer its own financial struggles as well as more freedom. Having a child as an older adult has financial implications. They may struggle to find the financial means that they need.27. Complications with guardianship
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The majority of children have their parents and a potential guardian, somebody of a similar age as their parents. Yet, there are complications with older parents because the people they are close to may be at a similar age. And, if something happens to somebody it raises the question of who will be an appropriate guardian.28. Harder impact on marriage
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Younger marriages are more flexible in terms of the fact that it is a newer stage of life, and they are more used to major changes in their life. As older people, these major changes get less and less and life becomes more stable. So, having children at this point can feel more of an impact.29. Handling adolescence can be difficult
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Having babies as an older parent means that when the child reaches adolescenthood, they are even older. This stage can be extremely difficult, and there's the danger that an elderly parent would struggle in being able to handle the difficult situations that could arise.30. Adjusting to changing roles can be harder
