She who hesitates ... (FYI).When women delay childbearing until age 35 or older, their risk of having adverse outcomes increases, and those outcomes have an important impact at the population level, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. an analysis of birth data from Alberta, Canada. (1) Between 1990 and 1996, while the number of births in the province declined, the number of births to women aged 135 and older rose by 32%; the proportion of births that were to women of this age increased by half. Older mothers had a significantly higher risk than younger mothers of having a baby who was low-birth-weight (less than 2,500 g) and of delivering preterm preterm /pre·term/ (-term´) before completion of the full term; said of pregnancy or of an infant. pre·term adj. (before 37 weeks' gestation GESTATION, med. jur. The time during which a female, who has conceived, carries the embryo or foetus in her uterus. By the common consent of mankind, the term of gestation is considered to be ten lunar months, or forty weeks, equal to nine calendar months and a week. ), as indicated by a relative risk of 1.2 for each of these outcomes. Furthermore, the prevalence of these events--which the analysts describe as "the most important determinants of neonatal mortality Noun 1. neonatal mortality - the death rate during the first 28 days of life neonatal mortality rate death rate, deathrate, fatality rate, mortality rate, mortality - the ratio of deaths in an area to the population of that area; expressed per 1000 per year , as well as infant and childhood morbidity"--increased by about 10% among women 35 and older. Older mothers accounted for 78% of the change in the prevalence of low birth weight and 36% of the increase in the occurrence of preterm deliveries during the study period. These findings, the analysts note, "suggest that the number of infants who require neonatal transport, intensive care, and ongoing medical care will continue to rise if the trend toward delayed childbearing continues." (1.) Touch SC et al., Delayed childbearing and its impact on population rate changes in lower birth weight, multiple birth, and preterm delivery, Pediatrics, 2002, 109(3):399-403. FYI "For your information." See digispeak. FYI - For Your Information is compiled and written by Dore Hollander, executive editor of Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health Within the framework of WHO's definition of health[1] as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, reproductive health, or sexual health/hygiene . |
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