Real Life: Older mums' bum deal

THE average age at which women have their first child is now over 30 and increasingly mums are waiting until their late 30s to start a family.

As well as decreasing fertility, older mums also face concerns about genetic and chromosomal disorders. The Government has not kept pace with this trend and does not provide a prenatal screening programme.

The HSE confirmed there is no national policy on a population basis, with screening only being offered by doctors on an individual patient basis where there are risk factors.

There are three main screening tests for genetic and chromosomal disorders. These include early stage tests like the scan and blood test at 11 to 12 weeks and chorionic villus sampling (CVS), involving placental tissue sampling.

Later stage tests include amniocentesis, usually carried out at 14 to 16 weeks, during which small amounts of amniotic fluid are extracted from the womb. Both amniocentesis and CVS carry a small risk of miscarriage.

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