Delayed Pregnancy

Once a woman ages, her chances of conceiving automatically decreases. Most fertility experts agree that fertility actually decreases with age. The age of the male partner is irrelevant. Female age is very vital in considering the probability for conception. The real issue is egg quality - which translates over to embryo quality after fertilization. There is a slow decline in pregnancy rates in the early 30's. This decline is more substantial in the late 30's and early 40's. Few women over 45 are still fertile.

Now a days women because of their career and other problems delay their pregnancy thereby creating lot of risks. Many women are not aware of the decline in fertility they grow older. While many dismiss stories of the complications of late motherhood - such as lowered fertility and health risks to mother and child - as propaganda, doctors insist women who delay it or opt not to get pregnant face real problems.

According to Dr Snehalata Khanwilkar, 51, a gynaecologist, some conditions like uterine fibroids, cervical cancer, breast cancer and ovarian cancer appear more in women who have never had children.

The risks involved in delayed pregnancy:

Middle age or delayed pregnancy involves the risk of miscarriage to a high extent. Miscarriage rate is believed to increase with age. Between age 20 and 30, it is 10 per cent, at age 35 it is 15 per cent, above age 40 it is 30 per cent.

Studies have also revealed that delayed pregnancy can also cause ectopic pregnancy (when a fertilized egg implants outside the uterus, usually in the fallopian tubes) and still-births.

Women who go in for late pregnancy are also at high risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes during pregnancy. Also with age, the neck of the womb may stiffen, making dilation harder, and the uterus may not have sufficient strength to power contractions, so delivery could be difficult.

Delayed pregnancy may also cause complications during pregnancy and labour and also cause health risks in the child. The older the woman, the higher the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in the child, leading to, for example, Down's Syndrome. Babies may also be premature or born early, with low birth weight.

Health Risks involved in non-pregnancy

Doctors are of the opinion that several complications and problems may be linked to non-pregnancy because of non-user of the parts of woman's reproductive organs.

Uterine fibroids: When the uterus is not "worked", it has a higher chance of developing uterine fibroids, or bumps and growths. This could cause heavy, painful menstruation, and could put pressure on the organs.

Cervical cancer: A sexually active woman who has had more than one partner is believed to be at a higher risk of developing cancer of the cervix (the neck of the uterus which leads to the vagina). This is because sex exposes you to various types of the human papilloma virus (HPV). A celibate woman is not at risk.

Cancer of the womb: While this is not the most common cancer that strikes women here, a woman without babies is at a higher risk of developing cancer of the womb. About 30 per cent of patients with cancer of the womb have never had babies.

Breast cancer: The incidence of breast cancer has been found to be lower among women who breast-feed for six months or more. Mothers who do not breast-feed are not at lower risk.

Ovarian cancer: The incidence of cancer of the ovaries, where a woman's eggs are stored, is also believed to be higher among women who delay or reject pregnancy because the release of the egg is traumatic. Pregnancy offers a period of protection, when ovulation stops. Because the ovaries are one of the most protected parts of the female body, ovarian cancer cannot be detected until very late. That is why it is known as the "silent killer''.