Women over the age of 35 are more likely to have fertility problems than younger women, according to new research.
Women aged 35 are six times more likely to have problems conceiving than those ten years younger, according to a study from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Up to 30% of 35-year-olds take longer than a year to get pregnant, compared to only five per cent of 25-year-olds, according to the study.
Expectant mothers in their late thirties and forties are far more likely to suffer complications such as pre-eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or stillbirth and are also more likely to need a Caesarean, the researchers warned.
Babies born to them have a greater risk of being premature, or have Down’s Syndrome or other genetic disorders.
The researchers said full information on fertility need to be made available to women of all ages to remind them that the most secure age for childbearing remains 20 to 35.
The study is published in the journal Obstetrician and Gynaecologist.
Source : Irish Health