When the stork visits late
The Hindu : Sujata Roy so wanted a baby, but did not meet the right man till she was over 40. A year after the wedding, the journalist was holding her ‘beautiful’ bundle of joy. Sanjana Rishab, a media manager, was so in love with her job that she kept putting off marriage. When she finally did, she was 42, and had a couple of miscarriages.Many generations ago, the wedding bells for a girl chimed well before she was 14, but the situation has undergone a sea change.However, career and financial security have gained precedence over matrimony and raising children.T. Kamaraj, infertility specialist at Aakash Fertility Centre and Hospital, Chennai, says that ideally, a woman should have had two children by 25. At the most, before she turns 30. Though postponement may be a conscious process for a few, for many, pregnancy could be delayed due to physiological problems.C.V. Kannaki Uthraraj, Director, Fertility Centre, KMCH says the common causes for delay in pregnancy are problems in ovulation, uterus (such as fibroids), fallopian tube, and sperm profile and erectile dysfunction in men.Delay in pregnancy can also be due to ‘unexplained infertility’ where the problem is at a genetic level in the egg or sperm. “Lifestyle, too, is one of the chief causes.” Smoking, alcohol, stress, food habits, environment, lack of exercise and obesity also play a part, she adds. So, what bearing does age have on pregnancy and delivery? Says Kamala Selvaraj of GG Hospital, Chennai that the risk of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, anemia and pregnancy-induced hypertension and miscarriages increases with age. The chances of abnormalities, both physical and mental, in children also become high, warns Dr. Kamaraj. Sujata recalls how she was depressed after her foetus tested positive for Down’s Syndrome. Thankfully, her six-year-old son is as active as other children. In addition, there are also the psychological risks of having children late. In most instances, such children…More
