Israeli Study: Pregnancy Over 50 Not Greater Risk Than During 40s

Women over the age of 50 do not face elevated risks from childbirth than do women in their 40s, according to a study conducted by researchers at Israel’s Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and Soroka Medical Center. The scientists evaluated data from 68 women over the age of 50 who recently had given birth – half of them using fertilization methods. The data was compared to that from 558 women aged 40-45, 7,321 aged 40-44, and 240,000 under 40. While the study found that there was, in fact, a greater incidence of complications among women in their 40s, as well as for their offspring, statically speaking, no additional risks were identified for those in their sixth decade. While noting that pregnancy for women above 40 is still considered risky, a lead researcher nevertheless asserted that “there is no doubt that medical teams are going to see more and more births for women over the age of 50.”