Baby boom for over-40s
(sz) Hollywood’s not the only place women are waiting longer to have babies. Dramatic increases in the average age of women giving birth are being recorded on the North Shore.
At North Shore Hospital, births to women over 40 have risen nearly 60 percent since 2000. In 2005 alone, 156 women over 40 gave birth – a 73 percent increase. Of the total 22,727 births in the period, 4.1 percent were to women over 40, compared to 2.7 percent at Waitakere Hospital.
Births to women between 35 and 39 have also risen more than 50 percent since 2000. That age group made up about 23 percent of total births at the hospital last year, while women aged 30 to 34 accounted for nearly 35 percent.
The trend towards delaying childbirth is worrying, says Waitemata clinical director of obstetrics Sue Belgrave.Fertility drops significantly in older mothers and subsequently the chance of successful in-vitro fertilisation. Higher maternal age is also linked to a number of medical conditions that can affect mother and baby, and a higher number of deliveries by caesarean section. more…
From: »stuff« (NZ)