– NATALIADERIABINA/ ISTOCK – Archive
MADRID 10 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service at the Quirónsalud San José Hospital, Juan José López Galián, has highlighted that following a balanced diet, performing physical exercise and maintaining adequate rest, in addition to rigorously following medical recommendations, are key guidelines for a healthy pregnancy after the age of 40.
Although advanced maternal age is associated with a greater frequency of risks during pregnancy, both for the mother, who is more likely to suffer from comorbidities such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension; as neonatal, among which there may be delay in uterine growth or genetic malformations; and premature birth or cesarean section, the doctor stressed that “this does not mean that after 40 it is not possible to have a healthy pregnancy and control the associated risks.”
López Galián has emphasized the importance of these guidelines in a context in which the age of motherhood continues to increase in Europe and Spain. According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), if in 2009 in 4.65 percent of births the mothers were 40 years old or older, in 2024 it was 10.44 percent, having reached its maximum peak in 2022 (10.99%). Of these, in 2024, almost one percent were 50 years old or older.
The gynecologist has explained that, once the decision to get pregnant has been made, one must undergo a complete gynecological examination that includes an interview to review family history, current or past illnesses, past infections, previous vaccinations, previous surgeries, allergies and habits; and a physical examination and complementary tests such as a transvaginal ultrasound and cytology in order to assess the status of the cervix.
Along with this, a general analysis is essential to assess the baseline situation of the woman, it allows us to rule out anemia or problems with platelets, identify the blood group, the concentration of glucose in the blood, the functionality of the liver and kidney, the thyroid hormones, the serologies of infectious diseases, with which it is possible to know the infections that the patient has had, those that she has not and for which she is immune, and the urine, among other aspects.
“And of course, rigorous control of the risk factors described – control of weight, glucose and blood pressure -, of the baby’s development and of medical recommendations,” the expert stressed.