isn't 50 too old to have another baby? What are the statistics for a complication free pregnancy/ birth?

Answer 1

A loaded question!

If you want to talk statistics, there aren't a whole lot of them around for 50 year olds, mainly because the vast majority of 50 year old women are no longer able to conceive at all. Mother nature turns off the taps. It's that simple. Pregnancy over 50 is NOT the norm.

If you are speaking about a natural conception, followed by a complication free pregnancy and delivery of a normal, healthy child, then the chances are quite low - I am not exactly sure what recent statitics are because the best I have available are from 2002 - at that time it showed from 57,000 live deliveries studied in 2001-2002, only 108 were in this category.

There is a question mark, however, over how many babies possibly *could* have been born. Women over 40 have the highest percentage of theraputic abortion, and also the highest ratio of unintentional pregnancies.

With assisted reproductive technology, however, there are opportunities for women over 50 to have babies, almost certainly. Hormone therapy, fertility drugs, donor eggs, IVF - opportunities for the right patients. Again, the odds are low, statistically speaking, that even with assistance a women will become pregnant, will carry without complication and give birth to a health child. Put it this way - more women will NOT become pregnant than will - for every 100 50 year olds who try IVF, for example, with donated eggs, odds are that about 25 will become pregnant, and about 20 will deliver live babies.

I don't know about it being "too old" to have a baby - if a women has not yet gone through menopause, is still ovulating with viable eggs, has sustainable hormone production, is fit, and is wanting the baby then by all means she should have a go - recognising of course that there are huge risks involved both for her and for the health of a baby. The odds of delivering a child with a chromosomal abnormality at this age are about 50%.

Answer 2

Im all for anyone of any age wanting to have a baby but my big issue is that when a 50 year old woman has a baby that baby is going to grow up, when its 10 that parent will be 60 when that child is 20 that parent will be in their 70's.

Will that parent live to see their child grow up. How will it feel when it is 70 years old with a 10 year old running around and they are trying to take care of it.

I am never one to stop anyone from having children, I just wish people would think better.

Answer 3

I believe 50 is to old to have a baby. The risks are much higher and you need to think about how old you will be when the baby is at certain ages. When the baby is 20 the mother will be 70! I hope this mother thinks about what she is doing before she acts on this.