A consultant gynecologist, Dr Ayodele Ademola, has cautioned women of reproductive age over late pregnancies and their effects.
Ademola, who is the Medical Director, Strong Tower Hospital and Advanced Fertility Centre, a Lagos-based private medical facility, warned that late pregnancies could be associated with some complications.
The medical practitioner, who spoke with the newsmen in Lagos on Thursday, said that women from the ages of 35 and above could be experiencing complications, such as pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and diabetes, among others.
He explained that the issue of fertility and pregnancy were connected with age, stressing that the earlier a woman got pregnant and started a family, the better.
“As women grow older, the fertility also decreases significantly,” he said, adding that genetic problems could sometimes lead to higher rate of cesarean sections.
“The pregnancy is of high risk; so also the life of the baby, especially in women with first pregnancy at that age. Some of the children are born with deformities, such as Down syndrome and others,” Ademola said.
According to him, the best age bracket for a woman to have babies is between 20 and 30 years.
“Unfortunately, most young women of these days think of settling down to start a family from 35 years and above,” Ademola said.
He noted that the more a woman became older, the greater her chances of having miscarriage.
The consultant gynecologist said that extreme teenage pregnancy could also be of high risk. He said that the chances of a woman having multiple-pregnancies like twins were very common around 35 years.
Ademola called on pregnant women to visit clinics at all times for quality healthcare for both themselves and their babies.
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