What is advanced maternal age pregnancy and the risks of waiting to get pregnant later in life?
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Women waiting to have children is a trend that's growing, but doctors say advanced maternal age can come with some risks.
The CDC said the average age of a first-time mom in the United States is now 27 years old, which is a record high.
However, doctors say many women are waiting until their late 30s or early 40s to have a baby, and that can come with some risks
Reality star, 44-year-old Kourtney Kardashian, and her musician husband, Travis Barker, recently announced the gender of their first child together.
"We really are at a place where age is, to some degree, just a number," said Dr. Cole Greves, with Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies.
Doctors say pregnancy later in life is becoming more common, but advanced age brings increased maternal risks.
Risks include:
- Miscarriage
- Preeclampsia
- Preterm labor
- Gestational diabetes and hypertension
- Increased chance of c-section
- Blood loss risk
However, having a baby at an older age mostly depends on the overall health of the woman, doctors say.
"If she's fairly healthy prior to pregnancy, without a lot of medical co-morbidities, sometimes these moms who are active and healthy, eat right, exercise regularly can actually do better in pregnancy than some of our younger moms who have significant medical comorbidities," Dr. Greves said.
There are also increased fetal risks to consider.
Doctors said anyone thinking of becoming pregnant -- who would be 35 years or older at the time of delivery -- should seek prenatal care, especially if there are existing medical conditions like diabetes or hypertension.
"These are all conditions that really need to be optimized prior to conception to make sure we set that patient up for the best possible pregnancy in her later years," Dr. Greves said.
Doctors said there's also a risk of fetal abnormalities with older moms but that can be monitored with various screenings.
