September 16, 2005

THE PLACENTAL CEILING:

Delaying babies 'defies nature' (BBC, 9/15/05)

Women who wait until their late 30s to have children are defying nature and risking heartbreak, leading obstetricians have warned.

Over the last 20 years pregnancies in women over 35 have risen markedly and the average age of mothers has gone up.

Writing in the British Medical Journal, the London-based fertility specialists say they are "saddened" by the number of women they see who have problems.

They say the best age for pregnancy remains 20 to 35.

Posted by Orrin Judd at September 16, 2005 7:48 AM
Comments

It isn't only Mom and Dad who risk "heartbreak".

Think of the young child with a 40-year old mother or father who can't keep up with a kid's normal energy level. That often cheats the kid out of childhood.

Posted by: John J. Coupal at September 16, 2005 5:09 PM

We were 39 when Billy was born. He is 18 now. the contest is not physical. It is mental. Believe me the treachery and guile learned with age are far more important than youth and enthusiasm.

Posted by: Robert Schwartz [TypeKey Profile Page] at September 16, 2005 8:59 PM

Robert is right; dealing with a wily teenager requires wisdom and experience. This is why parents sometimes ship their offspring to live with their grandparents for a summer.

Posted by: Gideon at September 16, 2005 11:14 PM

So the Bible's Sarah and Elizabeth were unnatural? Does the Pope know about this?

Posted by: Anon at September 17, 2005 7:15 AM

Well, with one being circa age 90 and the other being infertile, assuming you are implying the same notability that the Bible itself notes. So?

Posted by: Gideon at September 17, 2005 7:33 AM

This is the oblique British way of recognizing their demographic problem.

Posted by: Holy Ghost at September 17, 2005 5:13 PM
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