More women are having babies later in life. How to improve your chance of a healthy pregnancy
Summary
More women are having babies later in life, which raises some health risks, but with proper care and monitoring, most older mothers can have healthy pregnancies and babies.
Key Points
- More women in the U.S. are giving birth at age 35 and older, with 21% of births in 2023 to older mothers, up from 9% in 1990.
- Pregnancy at advanced maternal age carries higher risks such as high blood pressure, obesity, cesarean delivery, twins, and genetic abnormalities, but most pregnancies are still healthy.
- Healthcare providers recommend optimizing pre-pregnancy health, regular checkups, and prenatal testing including ultrasounds and noninvasive prenatal screening.
- Older mothers are at increased risk for complications during birth such as placenta issues and gestational diabetes but with proper management, good outcomes are possible.
