Comments on: How Long Can You Wait to Have a Baby?

By: Karen

Karen — Thu, 04 Jul 2013 18:34:37 +0000

Speaking of fertility worries, I’m conducting my psychology dissertation research on worry about future fertility among women 25 to 40 years old, and I launched my survey this week! https://www.facebook.com/FutureFertilitySurvey The survey deals with a lot of the issues brought up in this Atlantic article. Please check it out and consider passing it on to your contacts. Thank you!

By: KK

KK — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 23:09:14 +0000

Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if the study results were interpreted generously in places where it’s convenient. There’s a certain cultural demand for results such as this (although to be fair, that demand exists in the other direction as well).

The more recent study finds a 0,77 chance for a 35-40 year old woman getting pregnant in the same circumstances as a 20-24 old one. I don’t have access to the paper so I have no idea how the increased likelihood of miscarriages and defects is handled. Their proportion is very significant for the end result, as noted above.

The similar ratio for men is 0,95. I’m glad to see this effect mentioned out in the open too. Last summer, Greg Cochran did some research on the increased mutational load that an increase in paternal age brings to the table and his results pointed in the same direction. It was news to me back then (although almost obvious in hindsight)

By: Wobbly

Wobbly — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 17:56:43 +0000

The incidence of Downs goes up a lot after 35, which in most cases ends in an abortion.

By: Scipio Americanus

Scipio Americanus — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 16:54:39 +0000

A very important point to raise, David Foster. My fiancée (a biologist) has expressed to me a strong desire that we should have our children before she reaches age 30, as after that point the incidence of birth defects and miscarriages explodes.

By: David Foster

David Foster — Sun, 30 Jun 2013 14:58:20 +0000

Very interesting, but of course the proper metric is not “getting pregnant,” but rather successful pregnancies. Of those 82% of 35 to 39-year-olds who succeeded in getting knocked up within a year, what % actually resulted in a live and healthy birth?

I think the over-emphasis on “don’t wait too long” is to a considerable extent a reaction to the earlier over-emphasis on “there’s no hurry.”