A 43-year-old member asked:
After 35, what are the possible birth defects?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. David Bergmananswered
Maternal-Fetal Medicine 38 years experience
Birth Defects: Birth defects are usually spontaneous occurrences unless they are related to genetic abnormalities or exposure to substances that are known to cause birth defects. After 35 a women has a higher risk of a fetus having a genetically abnormal fetus and therefore a slightly higher risk of birth defects that are associated with these genetic issues. Antenatal testing and sonograms can help detect.
5.9k viewsAnswered >2 years ago

Dr. James Fergusonanswered
Pediatrics 47 years experience
Similar to younger: In the world of birth defects, age starts to increase chances of chromosome anomalies, like Down syndrome, adding about 1% risk at 40 and 5% at 50.You must add this to the risk a mom would have one at any age. There are a lot of different ones, and only a consultation with a clinical geneticist could define yours.
2.2k viewsAnswered >2 years ago
Last updated Oct 9, 2015
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