Pregnancy Risks over 40: Does Age Matter?

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Today, more women than ever are having children well into their 40′s. There are plenty of studies showing the benefits to having children later, including an increased likelihood of raising children who do well in school. Still, there are some pregnancy risks over 40 to consider if you’re trying to conceive.

Pregnancy Risks over 40 for You
Medical care has advanced a great deal in the last 50 years, making pregnancy over 40 safer than ever. Women over 40 who are in good shape with no medical issues have a very good chance of safely conceiving and carrying a child to term. Still, women over 40 have a much higher risk of pregnancy complications, especially if there are already health issues like hypertension or diabetes. Here are some pregnancy risks over 40 that are more likely:

• Peripartum cardiomyopathy, which occurs when there’s heart damage and the heart is weakened.
• Preterm labor and abnormal labor.
• Preeclampsia, which is a potentially life-threatening condition that causes high blood pressure and protein in the urine. The risk of preeclampsia is about 3-5% but jumps to 5-10% for women in their 40′s.
• Gestational diabetes, a temporary form of diabetes. The risk of gestational diabetes jumps from 3% to 7% in women in their 40′s.
• Fertility treatments like Clomid can also increase your risk of ovarian tumors.
• Increased chance of C-Section. One third of mothers have a C-Section, but the number jumps to 50% for women in their 40′s.
• Placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta does not move away from the opening of the uterus during pregnancy. You have a 10x greater risk of developing this problem when you hit your 40′s.

Genetic Pregnancy Risks over 40
Along with potential pregnancy complications, there are also genetic pregnancy risks over 40. About 1.7% of women under 35 have children with some sort of birth defect, although 2.9% of women older than 40 have babies with birth defects. Heart defects are four times more likely in infants born to women over 40. Down Syndrome is also twice as likely once you conceive past 40. Some of this may be caused by the age of your eggs, or an undiagnosed problem like hypertension. Because of the risks of genetic problems and birth defects, women over 40 are encour