Vim & Vigor - Summer 2017 - North Mississippi - 39

TRUE OR FALSE:

Something happens to women's bodies at 35 that makes
pregnancy more challenging
and risky.

FALSE. There is nothing magical
about age 35, says Siobhan Dolan, MD,
medical adviser for the March of Dimes,
an organization that seeks to prevent
birth defects and fight premature births.
There is history to 35, though. The
age used to mark the time when the
risk of having a baby with a serious
genetic condition was about the same
as having a miscarriage as a result of
amniocentesis, an invasive procedure
that tests for genetic conditions and is
more commonly done after age 35.
These days, the miscarriage risk is
much lower, and doctors recognize
that what matters is an individual
woman's age and health history. Still,
the number persists in our culture.

TRUE OR FALSE:

If you're younger than 35,
an amniocentesis simply
isn't done.

FALSE. Amniocentesis is a test
that looks for problems in the developing baby, including birth defects and
genetic disorders. It can reveal Down
syndrome, the risk of which rises with
the mother's age.
While amniocentesis is not typically
done in younger women, the test is a
choice. Younger women may opt for it
because they have had a previous baby
with a birth defect or a family history
of genetic disorders.
"If you want to know for sure, you
should have the test," Dolan says. "Today,
we're more focused on what we call a
personalized risk assessment."

Whatever her age, it's up to each
woman to work with her doctor to
understand her options and risks.

TRUE OR FALSE:

It's harder to conceive after
age 35.

TRUE. "The facts are that as you
get older, it can take longer" to become
pregnant, Dolan says.
According to the American Society
for Reproductive Medicine, a woman
has about 300,000 eggs at puberty, and
she will ovulate about 300 times during her reproductive years. The eggs
that don't ovulate go through a natural
degenerative process. As the number of
available eggs in her ovaries decreases,
a woman's fertility declines.
While a healthy, fertile woman who
is trying to conceive has a 20 percent
chance of getting pregnant each month
when she's 30, her chances are approximately 5 percent by age 40.

TRUE OR FALSE:

As a woman ages, there are
more health risks during
pregnancy.

TRUE, BUT ... Yes, as a woman
ages, certain pregnancy risks increase.
For example, premature birth, low
birth weight, miscarriage and other
issues are more common in older
women than in younger women.
Some of these problems can be
attributed to conditions such as high
blood pressure, diabetes and obesity.
As Dolan points out, your personal
circumstances play a huge role.
"If you come to me and you're 32
and morbidly obese, with diabetes and
hypertension, you're at a higher risk
than if you're 38 and healthy," she says. ■

A SPECIAL
KIND OF CARE
When a pregnancy is potentially high
risk because of age or pre-existing
medical conditions, both mother and
child need a special kind of care.
Maternal fetal medicine physician
Justin Brewer, MD, at North Mississippi
Medical Center Women's Hospital
helps high-risk mothers prepare for
healthier births.
A high-risk pregnancy is one in
which the mother, the baby or both
are at increased risk of complications
during or after pregnancy and birth.
A woman's OB-GYN may refer her to
Brewer for many reasons-including
managing multiple gestations (complex
twins, triplets or more), monitoring
preeclampsia or incompetent cervix, counseling for age-related risks,
screening for Down syndrome and
other issues.
Some women require a single
consultation, while others may need
regular visits. For more information,
visit www.nmhs.net/maternal_
fetal.php or call 800-THE DESK
(800-843-3375).

CALL

Wonderful
Beginnings
North Mississippi Medical
Center offers childbirth
classes in Tupelo, Iuka and
West Point. For more information, call 800-THE DESK
(800-843-3385) or visit
www.nmhs.net/womens_
hospital_beginnings.php.

SUMME R 2017

39
http://www.nmhs.net/maternal_fetal.php http://www.nmhs.net/maternal_fetal.php http://www.nmhs.net/womens_hospital_beginnings.php
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2017 - North Mississippi
