Increasing Maternal Age and Premature Birth
Did you know, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the US is one of the nations with the most preterm birth cases? Usually, pregnancy lasts about forty (40) weeks; children born between thirty-seven (37) and forty-two (42) weeks are full-term. Babies born before thirty-seven (37) weeks, on the other hand, are considered premature. So far, the events leading to premature births are not clear, but advanced maternal age is believed to be one of the causal factors linked to premature births.
Understanding Advanced Maternal Age
According to National Vital Statistics Reports released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been an upsurge in the number of mothers postponing motherhood until they are thirty-five (35) years of age over the past four (4) decades. Ten (10%) percent of babies born today are born to first-time mothers who are above thirty-five (35) years.
Pregnancy at advanced ages increases the risk of complications during pregnancy, conception, and labor. These include labor that does not progress, labor induction, miscarriage, cesarean section, instrument-assisted delivery, and premature birth. This is because the womb muscles produce less energy hence, less effective contractions. By understanding this, you are in a position to help an older mother have a safe pregnancy.
What does Research say about the Relationship between a Mother’s Age and Premature Birth?
A study published in The Journal of Physiology best explains why a woman above thirty-five (35) years of age is at a higher risk of delivering a premature baby. Experts from King’s Condon London, UK discovered in a mice model that a woman’s age affects her uterus’ structure.
In mice representing women above thirty-five (35) years, uterus muscle contraction properties were insensitive to oxytocin, had reduced mitochondria count, and impaired hence unable to contract properly.
Reasons why Parenthood is Delayed
The tendency to postpone parenthood has been observed across every ethnic group in the US. The ease of access to contraceptives could be one of the reasons. Nevertheless, birth rates in young women have also reduced in women who don’t use contraceptives. Therefore, other cultural and social factors contribute a lot more than birth control in increasing maternal age. They include:

• More women working in male-dominated occupations which are not conducive for motherhood,
• Women reaching high educational levels,
• Housing and economic instability,
• Unemployment,
• Divorce,
• Low social benefit levels,
• Lack of workplace childcare policies, and
• Fertility treatments.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Premature Labor?
Usually, premature labor begins unexpectedly, and just like normal labor, symptoms of preterm labor include:

• Contractions in the abdomen that tighten like a fist after every ten (10) minutes,
• Vaginal discharge changes,
• Pelvic pressure (feeling like the baby is pushing down),
• Abdominal pain that can be accompanied by diarrhea, and
• Dull, low backache.

If you experience any of the above signs and symptoms, contact your OBGYN immediately.
What are the Complications of Preterm Birth?
While not every preterm baby experiences health difficulties, being born prematurely can lead to both short-term and long-term complications. The earlier the child is delivered, the higher the chances of developing complications. While there are complications that are apparent immediately after birth, some manifest as the baby grows.

• Short-term complications

Breathing Challenges
A premature child could experience challenges breathing as a result of immature respiratory organs. If the child’s lungs do not have surfactant (it helps lungs to contract and expand), they may develop respiratory distress syndrome.
The baby may also experience prolonged breathing pauses that are referred to as apnea or bronchopulmonary dysplasia.
Heart Issues
Preterm children are more likely to experience heart conditions such as hypotension (low blood pressure) and patent ductus arteriosus. Hypotension could be treated using medication, blood transfusions, and intravenous fluids. Patent ductus arteriosus is the continuous opening between the pulmonary artery and aorta. While this condition often closes on its own, failure to treat it could result in heart failure or a heart murmur.
Brain Difficulties
The earlier your child is delivered, the higher the danger of developing intraventricular hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain). More often than not, effusions resolve with very minimal effort since they are not severe. However, babies with more brain bleeding may experience permanent brain damage.
Gastrointestinal Problems
Additionally, premature babies have undeveloped digestive systems that could result in necrotizing enterocolitis. It is a health condition in which bowel wall lining cells are injured and happen after the baby starts feeding. Preterm children who take breast milk alone are at less likely to develop necrotizing enterocolitis.
Temperature Control Challenges
Premature children lose their body heat quickly and cannot produce sufficient heat to stabilize heat lost through their body surfaces.  That is why premature infants are put in an incubator until when they can be in a position to maintain their body temperature.
If the body temperature goes too low, the baby could suffer from hypothermia. Hypothermia in children could result in low sugar levels and breathing problems.
Poor Immune System
A preterm infant has an undeveloped immune system that could increase the chances of contracting infections. The infection could spread quickly to the bloodstream leading to sepsis.
Blood problems
Preterm infants are at a high risk of developing blood conditions like jaundice and anemia. Anemia is a condition that occurs when the body has few red blood cells. Even though all infants experience reductions in the number of red blood cells, the reduction is much higher in preterm infants.

• Long Term Complications

Difficulty with Vision
Babies born to advanced aged mothers are likely to develop retinopathy, a condition that takes place when a blood vessel swells and overgrows in the retina. Occasionally, the vessel gradually scars the retina hence removing it from its position. If left untreated, the condition could impaired vision or result in blindness.
Cerebral Palsy (CP)
Cerebral palsy can be described as a movement, posture, or muscle tone disorder. It is triggered by factors such as premature birth, the inadequate flow of the blood, infection, or brain injury during early pregnancy.
Chronic Health Conditions
A premature child is at a higher risk of suffering from chronic ailments such as asthma, infections, feeding difficulties, or even sudden infant death syndrome compared to full-term children.
Other complications include:

1. Dental problems like tooth discoloration, development delays, and tooth eruption
2. Impaired learning
3. Psychological and behavioral problems
4. Hearing problems

How Advanced Aged Mothers Can Reduce the Risk of Premature Birth
Although the primary cause of premature birth is still unidentified, there are things that advanced aged mothers can do to lower the risk of premature birth. They include:

• Before Conceiving

Get checked
Ensure you’re healthy before getting pregnant. Get all the vaccines that you may require. Discuss both health and family history with your physician. They could be in a position to identify diseases in the family history that possibly will affect your unborn baby.
If you’ve any disease, ensure it is treated or managed. This includes mental and physical conditions, such as depression, hypertension, and diabetes.
Moreover, discuss with your OBGYN every medication you consume, including supplements, over-the-counter drugs, and prescriptions. This is because there are drugs that are unsafe to take while expecting, and your physician should change them.
Consume a lot of folic acids
Folic acid is a vitamin that promotes growth and development. It can also reduce the risk of congenital disability in your child. Make sure you consume it before getting pregnant and during pregnancy.
Maintaining a good physical shape
Try keeping a healthy weight before getting pregnant. You are likely to experience health challenges if you are obese or underweight.
Stay away from toxic substances
Avoid consuming alcohol, using street drugs, or smoking while preparing for pregnancy. Besides that, do not use harmful chemicals at work or at home.
Reduce stress and anxiety
Stress affects not only your body but also your unborn baby. It is, therefore, essential to learning practical stress management skills before getting pregnant.

• During Pregnancy

Gain the right amount of weight
The amount of weight you gain should be determined mainly by your weight before getting pregnant. Your physician should tell you the best weight range for you. Make sure you consume healthy foods and exercise regularly.
Get Prenatal Checkups
Plan regular appointments with your gynecologist and attend each of them. They will be in a position to monitor the pregnancy and identify any problem early.
Continue with treatment
Keep up taking medication for any disease diagnosed before getting pregnant. However, you should tell the doctor what medicines you are taking so that they can know whether they are harmless to the baby or not.
Again do not take alcohol, use drugs, or smoke.
Other Considerations to Take into Account
Most doctors will conduct more prenatal testing on expecting mothers above thirty-five (35) years of age. This helps them to test for abnormalities that pose a greater risk for you. One of the standard tests is a noninvasive blood test that examines the fetal DNA in the bloodstream. The test can tell whether your unborn baby is at risk of chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome or not.
If increased danger is found, more testing is done. It could include amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling, or more blood tests. However, you need to consult your OBGYN about getting further tests; that might decrease the possibility of miscarriage.
Final Recommendations
Like mentioned earlier, the reasons behind premature births are linked more to behavioral choices and life circumstances that are common in mothers with advanced age. Consequently, women should not be concerned about their age when considering getting pregnant. Besides that, the benefits linked with giving birth in later years outweigh the risk factors. Children born to older mothers have less social, emotional, behavioral, and economic difficulties. Therefore, women should develop a better perspective when it comes to increasing maternal age and premature birth.