Older mothers don't know risks

By Elizabeth Heathcote  on Monday 15 June 2009

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Women who follow the example of older celebrity mothers such as Madonna and Holly Hunter may be unaware of the increased risks, an expert from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has warned.

Mandish Dhanjal, a consultant obstetrician has collated evidence of the medical risks of late pregnancy for a report for the College. 'The mass media doesn't tend to report the complications [of late pregnancy],' he warns.

The risk of medical complications is twice to five times as high for a pregnant woman in her forties than her twenties, according to the Mail.

Risks include diabetes, pre-eclampsia and problems getting pregnant at all.

Mr Dhanjal points out that the number of older mothers has more than doubled since the mid-Eighties. Nearly one in five pregnant women are now in their forties.
 
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Monday 15 June 2009

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