this is one of my worries. I'm 38 now and I want to get pregnant the soonest. I married late so that explains it. I've been reading a lot about pregnancy and one factor that put me in great risk is my age.

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I think with our advance technology at present, there is nothing to worry about getting pregnant with such age of 35-40. I have known a lot of women with that age who got pregnant and still have healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.

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Age 35-40, when getting pregnant, is no longer an issue if you are in good shape. It is actually depends on how you take care of yourself, how healthy are you...

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is this because egg quality deteriorates? but is it only the egg? does the sperm quality affect your chances of having a child with down's?

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Egg quality during this age is at its decline. Most probably you released a "rotten" egg (sorry) and then it gets fertilized. As stated this gets often when you get to this age, so it is a risk older women will have to take.

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I have read this too. It seems like it is a risk you have to take if you want to become a mother later in life. Its not an ideal situation to be in but you will never know until you are pregnant if your child has Down's.

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Its one of the downside to becoming a late mother. When we are in our prime there are other things to take care of like career or school and other choices.

While I think it is unfair, I also know that this is necessary for our evolutionary process as a specie.

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There are different outcome for the baby which is made during the later age of the mother. It is either talented or down syndrome. But, as a loving mother, whatever it is the outcome, we must accept it heartily.

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there are birth defects that is caused by human chromosome mutations due to nondisjunction, and it may happen because of viral infection or certain chemicals in the environment. Changes in the structure of the chromosome occur during cell division.

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