Old Maid at 35
By Megan Joiner, 09.27.06

At the age of 66 Adriana Ileiscu of Romania achieved the impossible. She gave birth. Baby Eliza Maria was Ileiscu’s surrogate child and the medical world was amazed a woman her age could deliver a healthy infant.

The January 2005 birth sparked a heated international debate on the ethics of allowing older women to conceive children and the optimum age for conception.

Chris Sikes, the head R.N. of an obstetrics and gynecology practice in Warner Robins, Ga., believes that the prime age for conceiving is between 18 and 35.

"Under 18 the body is able to produce children but not fully matured. Plus there is emotional risk,” Sikes said. “Over 35, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and the risk of congenital defects, like Down syndrome, can occur. As the woman ages, so does the egg, so older women have older eggs. You have healthier eggs younger in life.”

Sikes said his clinic has delivered between 150 and 180 infants in the past year, but women over 35 make up less than 10 percent of the case load.

According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in newborns increases with the chronological age of the egg, growing from one in 385 at age 30 to one in 66 at age 40. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the risk of Down syndrome in particular increases from one in 1,000 at age 20 to one in 100 at age 40.

As women age, they also face the challenge of conceiving before they worry about birthing healthy babies. According to Laterbaby, “Even if intercourse is timed perfectly to coincide with ovulation, a healthy 40-year-old woman will still have less than a 10 percent chance of becoming pregnant each month.” In addition, the ability to conceive ends approximately ten years before menopause occurs, meaning difficulties conceiving can begin as early as 35.

But, despite the statistics, medical experts say conceiving at a later age is still possible. And, according to Sikes, there are some benefits of later pregnancies as well. He believes older women may be more prepared for a new baby emotionally and mentally than young moms.

“It depends on what’s going on in their life. If they [older women] have many children it will be easier because they will be used to it,” Sikes said. “Energy levels decrease with age and health problems may increase, but they have more life experiences to help them.”

In addition, older women can look into alternatives to natural conception and child birth. Agencies throughout the U.S and abroad offer their adoption services and hospitals give women the opportunity to pursue in vitro fertilization.