How Does a Mom's Age Affect Pregnancy?

Nov. 6, 2002 -- Shonda Prince-Hall just turned 27 years old, she is 5 ½ months pregnant, and she also represents a very common statistic.

Most babies born in the United States have mothers who are between the ages of 25 and 29. Like most women in their 20s, Prince-Hall had no trouble conceiving.

At her age, Prince-Hall's chances were 50-50 at the most fertile peak of her cycle. She is not too concerned about her health.

"The fact that we're young, I think, also adds to the fact that I feel pretty safe with this pregnancy," Prince-Hall told ABCNEWS' Good Morning America.

This Thursday, Good Morning America will be visiting hospitals around the country and going into the delivery room with couples who are about to have babies. It's part of a "Baby, Oh, Baby" special broadcast.

One trend is obvious: More women in the United States are having children than at any time in almost 30 years — across the board in all age groups. But having a baby in your 20s is not the same as having one in your 30s or 40s.

Only 10 percent of women between 25 and 29 have miscarriages. At 27, Prince-Hall is at low risk for complications, like hypertension, and compared to older moms-to-be, she has half the risk of developing gestational diabetes. As a mom, she thinks her youth will pay off.

"I just think that energy plays a big factor in having a child at a younger age," Prince-Hall said.

Although she may have more energy than an older mother, she will have fewer resources. Most 20-something mothers elect to return to the work force and juggle motherhood, too. Many of them can't afford to stay home.

"I don't want to neglect my career," Prince-Hall said. "I feel that I'm in my prime, and I'm ready and I'm excited."

Pregnant at 30-Something

Kelly Kennedy is 33 and four months pregnant with twins. Age 33 used to be considered "advanced maternal age" in medicine, but things have changed. Now birthrates for women in their 30s are at their highest levels in three decades, and one woman in five now has her first child after age 35.

"I expected to have my first child in my mid-20s, but then I didn't find the right person — and so here I am," Kennedy said.

By age 30, peak fertility has already dropped by 30 percent, and women in this age group are less likely to become pregnant right away.

"I became pregnant through [artificial] insemination," Kennedy said. "It was my first try."

Kennedy's twins represent a boom for moms in their 30s. Now, among women in their 30s, one in 26 births results in twins.

Infertility drugs are a leading cause for the multiple births, but age also plays a big role. At ages 30 and up, the odds increase for multiple births, even without fertility treatments.

Though doctors do not know why, the rate of Caesarean sections is two times higher among women ages 30 to 34. In the early 30s, the miscarriage rate goes up, as does the risk of having a birth defect. The risk of Down syndrome rises to one in 952.

Yet for Kennedy, the timing couldn't have been better.

"This is a perfect age for me to have children. I did most of my growing up in my 20s," she said. "I've never felt better emotionally, never felt better physically or all around. This is probably the best part of my life."

A Surprise Pregnancy for a 40-Something

At 43, Lisa Lee did not expect to be expecting at her age.

"I didn't think I'd be in my 40s having my first child," Lee said. "It's just the way things worked out."

When Good Morning America met up with her, Lee had a later due date, but she actually went into labor later that day.

As is the case with all pregnant women in their 40s, Lee's pregnancy was being treated as high-risk, so after the contractions started, she headed to Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Lee conceived without the help of fertility drugs, and statistically speaking, she was pushing the boundaries.

By age 40, the chance of becoming pregnant during any one month drops to only 5 percent. Only about 2 percent of babies are born to women over 40 every year. At least one-third of all pregnancies in the 40s end in miscarriage.

"We were concerned with Down syndrome," Lee said.

The concern was well justified. When a mother is in her 40s, the baby has a one in 106 chance of being born with Down syndrome. By age 44, the chances increase to one in 38.

On the upside, older moms are usually emotionally and financially primed to go.

"It will be easier to change our lifestyle because we've already had so many years of doing exactly what we wanted," Lee said.

If you're giving birth for the first time in your 40s, you should probably prepare for a one-time experience. That's what Lee was doing as she headed off to the hospital.