Creaw Portal

LONDON, Monday

Many women may not be fully aware of the potential consequences of waiting until later in life to have a baby, a UK study suggests.

The study, of 724 women who were either pregnant or having trouble getting preg­nant, found that nearly all were aware that age Affects the chances of conceiving. However, they often did not know that older age increas­es the risk of certain preg­nancy complications, and many had too much faith in the success of in-vitro fertili­sation (IVF).

The decision to delay childbirth is a complex and personal one, the researchers note in a report in the jour­nal Fertility and Sterility.

The point, they say, is that women should be fully aware of all the possible benefits and risks of their decision.

Other studies

"The results of this and other studies suggest that women should be provided with the appropriate information on the possible outcomes of a decision to delay mother­hood," write Dr Abha Ma­heshwari and colleagues at the University of Aberdeen in England.

They analysed question­naire responses from 362 women getting pre-natal care and 362 women seeking fertility counselling at the university medical centre. The researchers found that 85 per cent of women with fertility problems and 76 per cent of pregnant women were aware that fertility de­clines between the ages of 30 and 40.

Most women in both groups were also aware that pregnancy complications

A pregnant woman. A study shows older age increases the risk of certain pregnancy complications become more common with age. Still, fewer than half in each group knew that age in­creases the risk of pregnan­cy-related diabetes and the need for a cesarean section.

Only about one-fifth of each group knew that age boosts the chances of hav­ing twins.When it came to IVF, Dr Maheshwari's team found that women tended to be overly optimistic about its success rates.

Only 53 per cent of women with fertility problems knew that the chances of conceiv­ing via IVF decline between the ages of 30 and 40. What's more, 85 per cent of them thought that fertility treat­ment can "overcome the ef­fect of age."

In reality, the research­ers note, only 25 per cent to 30 per cent of women in their 20s and 30s give birth after IVF treatment. Among women older than 40, the success rate is closer to 10 per cent.