Delayed childbearing
Delayed childbearing is a topic of discussion in some countries where health practitioners show great concern on the phenomenon. Geriatric pregnancy involves women above the age of 35 years. Getting pregnant at an age above 35 years is associated with numerous risks, which thus required special attention among the patients (Dietl, Cupisti, Beckmann, Schwab, & Zollner, 2015). Due to the associated risks, the health practitioners recommend women to bear children before the age mentioned above. It is necessary for the parents, especially women, to learn about the advantages and disadvantages of delayed childbearing which will help them make the right decisions. Geriatric pregnancies should be discouraged since they put the health of the mother and the child at numerous risks like hypertension, fetal Macrosomia, and stillbirth.
High blood pressure is associated with numerous health complications like heart disease, stroke and even death. Therefore, it is upon every individual to avoid any factor that could lead to hypertension. Geriatric pregnancy is one of the factors that put women at risk of developing high blood pressure. Dietl, Cupisti, Beckmann, Schwab, & Zollner, 2015, discovered that “the number of mothers with chronic hypertension increased with advanced maternal age (starting from the age of 35 years)” Therefore, it is necessary to avoid pregnancies when an individual is over 35 years of age.
Fetal macrosomia is a condition where a child is born with a weight of above 4000 grams regardless of the gestational period: This is another factor that may prompt women to avoid raising a child at a later age. Having a fetus bigger than normal puts the mother and the child at risks of developing severe complications during pregnancy and after childbirth. Among the difficulties associated with microsomal include injury of the birth canal and childhood obesity (Dietl, Cupisti, Beckmann, Schwab, & Zollner, 2015). It is necessary to ensure healthy childbearing by avoiding geriatric pregnancies.
Delayed childbearing also increases the chance of stillbirths among women. Kenny et al. discovered that “Women aged 40+ at delivery were at increased risk of stillbirth (RR = 1.83, [95% CI 1.37–2.43]).” In the study, the researchers compared the rates of stillbirths among different ages and discovered that women at 40 years and above had a higher chance of stillbirth (Kenny et al., 2013). If a woman would like to have a safe birth – protecting her child- she needs to avoid bearing children at geriatric age. Also, it is necessary to offer special attention to women who get pregnant at an age above 35 years in a bid to avoid serious health complications.
In a bid to offer specialized care to geriatric mothers, the patients are required to spend a more extended postpartum hospitalization. The neonates from these mothers also tend to spend more time in the hospital (Kenny et al., 2013). However, even though it incurs more cost, it is necessary to ensure that geriatric mothers get special attention while pregnant and after birth in a bid to avoid the mentioned complications.
Postponing childbearing also has its benefits to both mothers and the child. Firstly, the older mother of the current time have more knowledge in childbearing than young mothers; therefore, offering the necessary care during pregnancy and after birth. Thus, the child will have the required care. Older mothers tend to be happier after giving birth as opposed to young mothers. Lastly, a child will enjoy the excellent macro environment created by older mothers (Myrskylä, Barclay, & Goisis, 2017).
In conclusion, geriatric pregnancies have numerous disadvantages to both the mother and the child. There are various health complications associated with delayed childbearing, which include hypertension, stillbirth, and macrosomia. Offering the best education and healthcare to mothers could be the best solution to the problem. It is necessary for the mothers to know the advantages and disadvantages of getting pregnant after the age of 35. It is through the information that women will make the right decisions as well as take the right steps for the sake of their health and the health of their children.