Effect of age on fertility:
The peak of a woman's childbearing years is between her late teens and late 20s. By the age of 30, fertility (the ability to conceive) begins to decline, and this decline becomes faster once the mid-30s are reached. By the age of 45, fertility declines so much that pregnancy naturally is unlikely for most women.
The effect of age on a woman's ova:
Women begin their lives with a fixed number of ova in the ovaries, and the number of ova decreases as women age, and the remaining ova in older women are more likely to have abnormal chromosomes, and as women age they are more likely to develop disorders that can affect fertility, (Example: uterine fibroids and endometriosis).
Chances of getting pregnant as a woman ages:
- Healthy couples in their 20s and early 30s get pregnant about 1 in 4 women in any one menstrual cycle.
- By the age of 40, about 1 in 10 women becomes pregnant each menstrual cycle.
Late pregnancy risks:
A woman who gets pregnant at a late age is more likely to develop complications, for example, pregnant women over the age of forty are more likely to develop pre-eclampsia, "preeclampsia", and it can affect the health of the fetus.
The risks of miscarriage and stillbirth are greater for women over 35 years of age, and multiple pregnancies (twins or more) are more common in older women; As the ovaries age, the probability of releasing more than one ovum each month increases.
Late pregnancy and birth defects:
As a woman ages, the risk of having a baby with missing, damaged, or extra chromosomes increases, and prenatal diagnostic tests can detect whether the pregnancy is affected by a specific birth defect or genetic disorder.
Down's syndrome:
It is the most common chromosomal problem that occurs with late childbearing, where the risk of having a pregnancy with Down syndrome is higher
- 1 in 1,480 at the age of 20
- 1 in 940 at the age of 30
- 1 in 353 by the age of 35
- 1 in 85 by age 40
- 1 in 35 by age 45
Ways to preserve fertility:
Currently, no medical technology guarantees fertility preservation.
Oocyte Freezing:
Oocyte cryopreservation has become more popular in recent years, in which several oocytes are taken from the ovaries and unfertilized oocytes are frozen for later use in IVF (In Vitro Fertilization).