The geneticist destroys the myth: Older women give birth to fewer babies with a pathology



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"The purpose of research is to find out if the fetus is in good health, or if there are no developmental abnormalities, genetic pathology." Often, such words can be worrying and be afraid of the future mother – it is about the future of the child's health.But there is no reason to be scared – there are now innovative non-invasive prenatal studies, also known as NIPTs, that do not threaten fetal development, "says Eglė Butkevičienė, a medical geneticist at Synlab Medical Center

Edwards Syndromes. or Patau can occur in fetuses of women of all ages.This is a kind of "lottery" gene and no "safe" chromosomal age pathology

Genetics Eglė Butkevičienė

Real and Younger

There is considerable debate about the age at which women are at least likely to have a pregnancy. It is believed that it is much safer for women of younger age to wait and give birth. Such an impression may also be due to the fact that they are routinely less routine.

Doctor-geneticist E. Butkevičienė encourages not to conceal: "Statistically older women give birth to fewer infants with a pathology. This is due to the fact that they are checked more often for genetic abnormalities. The choice to wait calmly

The doctor gives an example of his environment, when the two future parents were young and healthy, so they did not even have ideas about genetic factors at the beginning of pregnancy. studies. However, when the baby was born, she was diagnosed with Down syndrome, which neither the parents nor the doctors knew during pregnancy.


  A myth disrupts genetics: Older women produce fewer pathogenic infants

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Female doctors treat genetic studies if they have had two or more spontaneous abortions or non-pregnant pregnancies, if they have a baby born with imperfections, family members with an inherited genetic disease, and so on. Admittedly, according to Dr. E. Butkevičienė's geneticist, these studies are increasingly being taken care of by healthy young mothers – thus reducing their anxiety, they can hope, and after finding a pathology, to inform themselves make decisions and prepare accordingly. Gender "lottery"

Genetic disease is a very broad concept, so the doctor distinguishes it into two groups: hereditary and infertile. The first group did a lot of research done by women with a history of such diseases. Meanwhile, the second group of diseases can develop at random.

Genetic dangerous diseases such as Dawn, Edwards or Patau syndromes can occur in fetuses of women of any age. It is a kind of "lottery" gene and no "safe" chromosomal age pathology. For this reason, the doctor-geneticist E.Butkevičienė recommends genetic testing for all pregnant women, regardless of age, ethnicity or pregnancy.

The risks are decreasing

Genetic research on the fetus is constantly improving. In the past, invasive studies have been conducted to find out if the fetus has genetic pathologies. Diagnostic tests are irreplaceable if an increased risk is identified during selection. It is only on the basis of the results of diagnostic tests that decisions can be made. However, more and more accurate sampling techniques are emerging that minimize the need for invasive studies.

"Women are increasingly choosing research on NIPT, which equates to diagnostic accuracy. They are performed by taking maternal blood, then badyzing the blood cells of the fetus' DNA and getting accurate results, "explains E. Boutkeviciene, geneticist doctor.

These studies identify chromosome trisomy of 21, 18 and 13, the most common non-genetic diseases. They can also identify the bad of a baby. Non-invasive genetic tests on the fetus can be performed from the tenth week of pregnancy to the end of pregnancy.

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