Maternal Age And Genetic Counseling

Maternal Age: Women who have their first child after the age of 35 years are likely to experience more problems during pregnancy and complications during delivery. Similarly, the incidence of two-egg twin formation, mental retardation, microcephaly (mental retardation associated with small skull and brain), Down’s syndrome (earlier known as Mongolism) low birthweight, and even cerebral palsy, is greater.

Genetic Counseling: Genetic counseling has become possible through advances in biology and genetics. Through amniocentesis, and chromosomal analysis in early pregnancy, it is possible to detect various chromosomal abnormalities (and these can be many) such as mental deficiency, blindness, Down’s syndrome and analysis. Parents then have the option to terminate the pregnancy and avoid the distress of having an abnormal child. There are many ethical issues involved and it is best that any decision after amniocentesis is taken jointly by parents and doctors. Of course, the mother should be consulted first and properly; every aspects must be presented to the mother and the family transparently, so that they can take a firm decision of their own.

What Determines The Sex Of The Child

The sex of every child is fully determined by the father. The mother has absolutely no role at all in determining the sex of the child. Thus if a woman has all daughters, it is exclusively due to the father. Of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in every human cell, the 23^rd pair determines the sex of the child. In men, at the stage of formation of the sperm cell the 23^rd pair of chromosome splits into two single chromosomes called X and Y. In women, the 23^rd pair splits into two single chromosomes called X and X. At the time of fertilization, if the sperm cell containing the X chromosome from the father unites with the X chromosome of the mother, the foetus is female. However, if the sperm bearing the Y chromosome unites with the X chromosome of the mother, the foetus will be male. Thus birth of a daughter or a son is solely determined by the father and, the mother has no role in this.