| Due to economic factors and busy careers, more and | | | | performed when you are eight to twelve weeks |
| more women are waiting to become pregnant until | | | | pregnant, enabling detection at a much earlier stage |
| they are over the age of 35. While they may be | | | | of the pregnancy. This technique also involves the |
| more financially able to provide for the child at this | | | | doctor inserting a needle into your abdomen to obtain |
| more mature stage of their life, older mothers also | | | | a sample of the placenta. The chance of miscarriage |
| face a number of risks that their younger | | | | and other complications are slightly increased when |
| counterparts do not need to concern themselves | | | | using this type of testing procedure. |
| with. Knowing what these risk factors are and taking | | | | Percutaneous umbilical blood sampling is another type |
| precautions against them can help you to enjoy your | | | | of procedure that your doctor may suggest in order |
| pregnancy and enable you to have a perfectly | | | | to detect fetal abnormalities. This technique can be |
| healthy baby. | | | | performed after twenty weeks of pregnancy, and |
| Children who are born to older mothers are at a | | | | involves the withdrawal of blood from the umbilical |
| higher risk of having genetic abnormalities due to the | | | | cord. This blood sampling carries the same amount of |
| fact that a women's age affects her eggs' ability to | | | | a risk as an amniocentesis procedure does. |
| divide normally. The most common condition that can | | | | Another condition that can result from irregular egg |
| result from this irregular genetic pattern is Down's | | | | division is multiple births. Many mothers over the age |
| syndrome. This phenomenon occurs when there is an | | | | of 35 are shocked to discover that they are carrying |
| extra set of chromosomes present in the child's | | | | more than one fetus. As these women are at a |
| body, causing a number of developmental and | | | | higher risk for a premature delivery under normal |
| physical problems. | | | | conditions, special care and precautions will need to |
| If you are over 35 and pregnant, your doctor will | | | | be taken if you discover that you are having more |
| probably advise you to have diagnostic testing done | | | | than one child. Many times a doctor will order at least |
| that can determine if there are abnormal | | | | partial bed rest for these mothers to hold the labor |
| chromosome patterns present in your unborn child. | | | | off for as long as possible. |
| One such test is amniocentesis, which can be | | | | High blood pressure and diabetes are also more |
| performed at sixteen to twenty weeks of | | | | common in women who become pregnant after the |
| pregnancy and involves a needle being inserted that | | | | age of 35. Regular doctor appointments are essential |
| will enable the doctor to withdraw a small amount of | | | | so that your doctor can keep an eye on any |
| amniotic fluid. This fluid is then analyzed to detect any | | | | fluctuations in either of these areas. |
| abnormalities. This test itself has some risk factors | | | | Becoming a mother over the age of 356 is becoming |
| associated with it, such as miscarriage or preterm | | | | much more common than it once was. By following |
| labor, although these have occurred in a very small | | | | your doctor's orders and taking good care of |
| percentage of cases. | | | | yourself, your chances of having a healthy and happy |
| Another test that can be used to detect | | | | baby can be almost the same as women who give |
| abnormalities that may be present in a fetus is a | | | | birth in their twenties. |
| chrionic villus sampling. This procedure can be | | | | |