Pregnancy Risks if You're Over Age 30

If you’re over 30 and pregnant, you’re in a bit of a gray area. You aren’t yet officially high risk because of your age – the official medical diagnosis for advanced maternal age is age 35 and older. Still, you will experience more risks than a woman who’s in her 20s. However, the good news is that most risks at this age are still minimal, and you should be able to have a healthy, low risk pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby.

As you get older, you do have an increased risk of having a baby with certain birth defects – the most common of which is Down’s syndrome. At 30, your risk of having a child with Down’s syndrome is about 1 in 1,000 – by the time you’re 35, that risk increases to about 1 in 400. Finally, as you near 40, the risk increases to about 1 in 100. This increased risk scares a lot of women, but if you look objectively at the numbers, you’re still much more likely to have a normal baby, even though your risk of having a baby with Down’s syndrome is higher.

As an older mom, you’re also more likely to be carrying twins or other multiples, whether they were conceived naturally or through fertility treatment. The biggest risk when you’re carrying multiples is preterm birth, or having your babies too early. Babies who are born too early can suffer from a number of different problems, depending on how early they were born, as the internal organs may not have had sufficient time to form. Generally, the closer you can get to your due date before you deliver, the healthier your babies will be. Medication and bedrest are the usual prescription for preterm labor and pregnancies with multiples.

Perhaps the greatest risk for older mothers is the risk of pregnancy induced hypertension, also known as pre-eclampsia. This condition can put both you and your baby at risk, and it’s most common among older, first-time mothers. If you have high blood pressure during pregnancy, you’ll be given medication to control your blood pressure and you and your baby will be monitored closely. The only known cure for pre-eclampsia is delivery of the baby, so it’s important to keep an eye on this condition throughout the pregnancy.

If you’re an older mother, you’ll generally be offered increased prenatal testing. Two of these forms of testing carry their own risks. The first is chorionic villi sampling or CVS. In this test, a needle is inserted either through the cervix or through the abdomen and a sample of placental tissue is taken for testing. The risks include infection, excessive bleeding, miscarriage, and the risk that your amniotic sac will be ruptured. Your baby can also be harmed during CVS, though the risks of that are smaller if the test is performed after 10 weeks and by a skilled care provider. The advantage of CVS is that it can determine whether or not certain genetic abnormalities are present earlier during the pregnancy, giving you time to prepare.

The second form of testing is amniocentesis. In this test, a needled is inserted through the abdomen and a sample of the amniotic fluid is taken for testing. The amniotic fluid contains cells that have been shed by the baby that can be analyzed for genetic abnormalities. The risks of amniocentesis are similar to CVS, and include infection, excessive bleeding, miscarriage, and the risk that your amniotic sac will be ruptured. Your baby can also be harmed during amniocentesis, though this is rare with a skilled care provider. An amniocentesis is usually performed later in pregnancy, around 15 to 20 weeks.

Whether or not the risks of CVS or amniocentesis are risks you should take depends on your willingness to continue a pregnancy with a baby who may have certain medical problems. If you’re determined to continue your pregnancy regardless, then anything that increases your chances of losing the pregnancy may be unacceptable. On the other hand, if terminating the pregnancy is an option you want to have, you may decide to get the information you need as quickly as possible.