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Reduce Pregnancy Risks for Advanced Women

Women of advanced maternal age is 35 years or more, as woman age increase, the body will be relatively weak, chances in health problems will increase. If this is the first pregnancy, then the risk factors will increase, for example, susceptible to high blood pressure, heart disease or diabetes and, hence, the mother and the fetus will be a higher chance of complications. Although pregnancy at an advanced age, mother and fetus will faces higher risks, but don't panic, with good pre-pregnancy and prenatal care, and the help of modern medical technology, not only help to eliminate unnecessary concerns of older pregnant women can also greatly reduce the risk to ensure the mother and child safe.

 

Pregnant women in their early pregnancy are given a detailed prenatal health checks. For advanced age pregnant women, in addition to the general necessary prenatal care, they are required also to accept a list of additional special inspection screenings.

 

1. Down Syndrome Screening:
 Patients who will be 35 years or older on their due date should be offered chorionic villus sampling or second-trimester amniocentesis, about 0.5% to 1% of pregnant women will have risk for miscarriage, so there is certain degree of risk. Therefore, doctors recommend advanced aged mothers in their 9-20 weeks pregnancy to do screening, estimated that the chance of fetal disease, and then determine the need for further examination.

 

2. Chorionic Sampling Assessment:
This can be done within the 10 to 14 weeks of pregnancy, the procedure required a small needle through the infiltration uterus, and extract placenta samples, this test will accurately detect if there are signs the fetus have diagnosis with down syndrome.

 

3. Amniocentesis Test:
Amniocentesis can be perform within 16 to 20 weeks pregnancy period, it required a hollow needle through the abdominal wall and into the sac of amniotic fluid, extract the fetal cells sampling to detect cells chromosomes is normal, this will accurately detected if the fetus is affected by the down syndrome symptoms.

 

4. Fetal Structural Ultrasound Examination:
Pregnant women in their 18 weeks or more can procede with the structure fetal ultrasound. The screening can be tested whether the normal fetal development and to observe whether there is some signs of cleft lip, cleft palate or congenital heart disease. However, ultrasound can not be found in down syndrome or other chromosomal problems.

 

Diagnosis Advices for Pregnant Women:

- advanced maternal age (35 years old or above)

- has given birth to babies with birth defects

- a family history of congenital defects, abnormal chromosome infants

- couples with inherited blood diseases such as thalassemia- ultrasound examination revealed abnormal fetus

- down syndrome abnormal blood test results

- fear of fetal chromosomal or other abnormalities

 

Tips for Everyday Life:

1. Deep sea fish oil nutritional supplements

2. Regular work and rest

3. To maintain pleasant mood

4. Lower cholesterol intake. 

5. To reduce excess calorie intake during pregnancy

6. Prenatal exercise of doing

7. Attention to climate change

8. Regular prenatal care examination

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