A consultant gynecologist, Dr Ayodele Ademola, has said that the best age for a woman to have children to avoid complications is between 20 and 30 years old.
Dr. Ademola, who is the Medical Director of Strong Tower Hospital and Advanced Fertility Centre, a Lagos-based private medical facility, said that the issue of fertility and pregnancy are connected with age.
The medical practitioner, who spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos today, July 23, said that women from the ages of 35 and above could be experiencing complications, such as pre-eclampsia, eclampsia and diabetes, among others.
“As women grow older, the fertility also decreases significantly,” he said, adding that genetic problems could sometimes lead to higher rate of cesarean sections.
“The pregnancy is of high risk; so also the life of the baby, especially in women with first pregnancy at that age.
“Some of the children are born with deformities, such as Down syndrome and others.
“Unfortunately, most young women of these days think of settling down to start a family from 35 years and above.”
Dr Ademola said that the more a woman gets older, the greater her chances of having miscarriage, adding that extreme teenage pregnancy could also be of high risk.
He said that the chances of a woman having multiple-pregnancies like twins are very common around 35 years.
Ademola called on pregnant women to visit clinics at all times for quality healthcare for both themselves and their babies.
