Maternal Age-Related Risk

“As a woman ages, the chance of having an aneuploid pregnancy increases. This association is because a woman’s eggs are as old as she. Females have all of their eggs in the fetal stage therefore they are born with all the eggs they will have in their lifetime. In males, sperm is made every 65-75 days therefore the sperm is not as old as the man.

Therefore, the theory regarding aneuploidy risk and advancing maternal age is that over time the chromosomes in the egg are less likely to divide properly leading to the egg having an extra or missing chromosome. There is a significant rate of chromosome abnormalities in embryos, and the frequency of these abnormalities increases with age. Only a few pregnancies carrying an extra or missing chromosome will go to term; most will be miscarried.” [Source]

If you’ve been given a life-limiting diagnosis for your unborn child, we want you to know that joy and sorrow can (and do!) coexist. Click here to reach out for support.