The writer Zhang Qiaoli is a Beijing-based physician. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Births to older women, especially 40 and older, are associated with higher health risks for both mother and child, and pregnancies among women older than 35 are referred to as "advanced maternal age".

Pregnant older women are also at greater risk of complications, such as abortion, embryonic death, diabetes, fetal-growth restriction, high blood pressure or heart disease. They also have a higher risk of pre-eclampsia, a condition characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine.

The number of older women having cesarean section is also rising, as a result of potential labor difficulties. A systematic review of studies dealing with the effect of maternal age on baby health outcomes found that the risk of stillbirth increases with advanced maternal age.

The age of the mother is also a risk factor for birth defects and other developmental disorders. Down Syndrome is the most common birth defect.

The postpartum recovery of older women is slower than that of younger females. The age of the father is being increasingly discussed as a contributory factor, too. Men older than 40 also have lower fertility, and their children are likely to have more complications.