Is There A Right Age To Have A Baby? Some Medical Facts

The right age, the right time, to have a baby is when both the partners are emotionally as well as physically ready.

This is a very common question most couples are asked even today. Even now when equal or more importance is given towards career achievements, balancing a family is given too much importance.

Both things – starting a family and achieving career milestones are equally important. However, one must know when to give importance to one over the other.

Age And Fertility Potential Linked

Firstly , a woman’s age and her fertility potential are directly linked .  A woman is born with a fixed number of eggs in her ovaries . These decline in quality and quantity with age , thereby reducing her fertility potential . A woman’s fertility steeply declines after the age of 37 years . The chances of spontaneous conception are <5% after 40 years of age.
Their are increased chances of chromosomal errors with increasing age , resulting in miscarriages and aneuploidies ( e.g.: trsomies like Down’s syndrome).

Medical Conditions which may cause infertility such a endometriosis , fibroids, worsen in severity with age , decreasing the chances of spontaneous and assisted conception. Older women also have higher chances of medical complications during pregnancy ,such as diabetes , high blood pressure , placental abnormalities , multiple pregnancy (twins, triplets) cesarean section .

Many Fertility Treatments

There are many fertility treatments available now ,however the success rate of these fertility treatments too reduces with increasing age.

There are tests which can predict a woman’s fertility potential /ovarian reserve . Women with a family history of premature menopause , certain auto immune diseases , those undergoing chemo or radiotherapy should have themselves  evaluated . There are options of egg freezing and embryo freezing available .

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As for men, the sperm motility and total count decline with age . The rate of miscarriage in a woman increases if her make partner is older than 45 years . The chances of autism , certain autosomal dominant disorders and Neuro cognitive disorders increase in the child , when the male partner age is > 45 years .

Considering all these above medical facts which have good scientific evidence , a couple can decide when to have a baby , or consider one of the options of egg /embryo freezing .

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