Q: I am currently 33 years old and a mother of three children, aged 7, 5 and 3 years old. I delivered my children naturally and had no complications during those pregnancies.

I would like to try a fourth child but feel quite concerned that I am too old. Will I have suffer from any complications because of my age?

Angeline

A: It seems that you are generally healthy, as your previous three pregnancies were uncomplicated. So go ahead and try for a fourth child as I do not think you are too old for it!

Nevertheless, the main concern with women older than 35 who get pregnant is the increase in risk of Down's syndrome affecting the baby.

This risk increases each year with age and most women aged 35 and above should consider the option of amniocentesis testing. This is a procedure where fluid is withdrawn from the water bag and tested to check the baby's chromosomes.

This is the definitive test but it does carry a small risk of miscarriage of about 0.5 - 1 per cent. Of course, anxiety is increased while waiting for the test results. Hence, most doctors would encourage women to try and get pregnant before they reach 35.

As you age, you may also develop conditions such as hypertension and diabetes. If such health conditions occur, they could affect the pregnancy and its development.