Older mothers more likely to develop gestational diabetes than younger mothers, study finds
Posted September 16, 2011 9:26 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Researchers said many older mothers have healthy birth experiences, but found there are risks after the age of 40.
The risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth start increasing at age 35 and rise significantly after that.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information found first-time mothers over 40 years old are at least three times more likely to develop gestational diabetes than younger mothers.
That’s a condition of elevated blood sugar that can cause high blood pressure in mothers and complications during delivery.
The risk of having a pre-term birth — before the 37th week of pregnancy — is also higher for older mothers.
