Genome Therapy Helps Middle-Age Women Conceive Healthy Babies and being aware is the key.
Getting older happens so quickly. Babies are born, graduate from high school, travel, and build a career before settling down and having kids of their own. Young women in the United States are waiting until their late 30s before deciding to have a child.
According to the Office for National Statistics, women in their 40s are the single age group where pregnancy rates are rising and this is due to gene therapy and the tests that have come from that research.
Innovations in fertility technology like IVF can help produce a child for older couples, but it is important to remember that it is not a magic procedure and it is not always successful. The vital and massive work completed by the Human Genome Project in 2003 has given the obstetric industries a laundry list of options for older parents.
Hereditary Carriers
Humans have two sets of genes. Hereditary illnesses like Tay Sachs are only developed when both parents have mutated genes. Carrier tests are offered to older women to avoid babies being born with tragic conditions.
Safe Pregnancies
The complex biological process of fertility and pregnancy are healthcare industries that vary widely across the United States.
Biologically, when a female is born she is born with a limited number of eggs. Once puberty and menstruation begin the females shed the unused egg.
The rather ugly medical term, ‘geriatric mothers’ apply to any pregnant woman over 35. The research conducted around genetics has produced several key tests that help potential parents make educated choices concerning their future children.
This carrier test is for pregnant women who may be a carrier of genetic diseases, including chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis.
Commercial Tests
If there are concerns about potential parents being carriers of hereditary illness there are commercial tests available that are less expensive than investing in the costly medical genetic tests (which are rarely covered by insurance) which can give you a better idea of whether you should schedule a medical screening.
There are DNA tests for everything these days, from weight loss to improving sleeping patterns but many of these commercial tests are nothing more than a bit of educated guessing and entertainment.
However, there is an objective website, DNA Weekly that clearly compares the tests available on the commercial market. DNA Weekly is a rich resource that can help you find out more information about genetic tests and how to interpret the findings.
It is vital to remember that a DNA test bought off the web is not the same as a genetic screening test completed by healthcare professionals who are highly skilled at performing, evaluating, and interpreting the results and what it means in regard to fertility.
Understanding the building blocks of human life and our precious chromosomes has helped more women have safe pregnancies (even if it is a geriatric one!), impervious deliveries, and healthy babies.
Providing older women options allows them to live the lives they want without giving up on the hope of having a family later in life.
The Future of Fertility
As the discoveries about our chromosomes unravel and explain the mysteries of how human life is built, women will not have to worry about infertility, being too old to have a baby, or whether or not the child will be born healthy and safe.
Gene therapy is truly exciting science and the medical applications that are being investigated and developed concerning obstetrics and gynecology could revolutionize how and when we have children.
If you’d like to learn more about IVF, Egg Donation, or surrogacy services globally, check out the rest of our website: IVF Conceptions. We offer legally secure and affordable surrogacy consulting services for FREE.