Trend of having children in 40s growing in UAE

Dubai - Fertility experts say it is becoming a social and cultural norm even among young couples in the UAE.

The rising costs of living worldwide and the desire to give their children a comfortable lifestyle is seeing a growing trend of women opting to have children at an older age.
According to recent figures released by Office for National Statistics, UK, the number of pregnancies in the age group of over 40s has more than doubled since 1990 from 12,032 to 28,744.
Fertility experts say it is becoming a social and cultural norm even among young couples in the UAE. "In the past few years, we have seen a definite rise in women over the age of 35 and over coming to us, to try and conceive to start a family," said Dr Pankaj Shrivastav, medical director of the Conceive Gynaecology and Fertility Hospital.
"It is now common to start a family a bit later in life. A few decades ago, having children in your 30s was considered late, but today that is deemed early," he said.
"This is one of the many reasons we are seeing women in their 40s conceiving. Of course, advancement in infertility treatments and medicines has made pregnancies post-40 both easier and infinitely safer," he added.
Dr Amala Nazareth, General Secretary, Emirates Obs & Gyne Society, member of FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) said: "A major chunk of the UAE population comprises expats, many of whom have moved here to establish a strong career. This is one of the biggest reasons why couples in the UAE are delaying parenthood, since they need time to be financially secure enough to start a family.
"Hence we're seeing an increasing number of women giving birth to their first-borns over the age of 40. We also see parents delaying the birth of their second child, because they want to create a comfortable lifestyle for their children, giving them a decent education, bigger homes and be able to give enough time and attention to their child," she said.
"Another important element inadvertently factored into this trend is the rise in PCOS cases among women here, that is a big deterrent in conceiving."
According to Dr Pankaj, the rising costs of living were also discouraging young couples from starting their family in their 20s and 30s. "There is also a definite increase in awareness and conscientiousness about adding more people to an overpopulated world and environment, which dissuades people from having more than one or two children," according to Dr Pankaj.
However, Dr Amala stresses that late pregnancies come with complications. "There's no denying that pregnancies in older women, especially those over 35 years, can be complicated and puts the babies at risk of congenital health issues, while also endangering the mother's life," she said.
"So, opting to have babies after a certain age should be an informed and educated decision that should be made keeping in view both the pros and cons."

Tips for women over 40 who are planning to conceive: