Childbirth may be no more dangerous for over-50s than women in their 40s, a new study suggests.
While it's plausible for a woman to naturally conceive in her 40s, mothering after 50 was almost unheard-of before egg-freezing and fertility treatments.
Now, it is possible to delay childbirth beyond the scope of natural means, but there is limited research on the risks for mothers over 50 and their babies.
According to a new small study on live births in Israel, there is no significant jump in risk.
Data on 242,771 births at a university hospital in Be'er Sheva, a city in the middle of the Negev desert, found childbirth risks do jump drastically once a mother passes 40. But after 50, there is barely any change.
The researchers say this means '50 is the new 40', and that the findings should be heartening for obstetricians across the world, who will be seeing more and more older mothers as fertility treatments become more accessible.
A study on 242,771 births in Israel found risks increase once a woman passes 40. But from thereon out, the risks stayed relatively stable. Women over the age of 50 did not have significantly higher risks than women in their 40s
'It turns out that 50 is the new 40 when it comes to childbirth,' lead author Dr Eyal Sheiner, director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Soroka University Medical Center, said.
'There is no doubt that medical teams will need to handle increasing numbers of birth for women over age 50.'
The results are limited: of the 242,771 births, 96.7 percent of the mothers were under 40. Three
