Factors Contributing to Delayed Childbirth

This paper examined the existing literature on delayed childbirth. It was noted that several factors contribute to delayed childbirth including: the decision to put off having children until one's education is completed, the decision to make career gains prior to motherhood, and so forth. The literature also indicated that there are both advantages and disadvantages associated with having children later in life but that despite the advantages, there are certain pregnancy and labor risks. These were said to include:longer first stage labor, greater intrapartum fetal distress, the need for need more intramuscular analgesia during labor, higher rates of cesarean delivery, higher rates of birth asphyxia, greater fetal growth restriction, malpresentation, and gestational diabetes, lower birth weight infants, lower gestational age at birth and higher risks of maternal mortality.

Several nursing interventions designed to maintain the health of both the mother and baby were examined. These interventions included: collecting relevant data, assisting parents with pertinent screening tests, providing pregnancy/birth education informing mothers about the risks and how to lower them such as changing certain lifestyle habits, and providing mothers with a variety of supportive services as well as with psychoemotional support.

The review concluded by noting that colleges need to provide nurses with additional training in the area as there are indications that

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about their babies' health during pregnancy as well as during labor and birth than younger women---and this is true despite a positive health status for the older woman. However, their higher levels of concern do not necessarily have negative consequences for their experience of childbirth or for their postnatal emotional well-being. In their discussion of disadvantages associated with delayed childbirth, the March of Dimes (1995) reports that women over 35 becoming pregnant for the first time are at increased risk for infertility and miscarriage, gestational diabetes, bleeding complications, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, cesarean section, and for chromosomal abnormalities and growth retardation in babies. Rates of premature delivery and stillbirth are also said to increase, as does the chance of having multiple births (e.g., twins, triplets or higher order births). It is further noted that since about half of all pregnancies for all women in the United States are not intended, including in women over 35, it is very important that all women of reproductive capacity follow guidelines to promote reproductive health and pregnancy. According to O'Reilly-Green and Cohen (1993) another disadvantage of delayed childbirth in

Category: Medical - F