Giving birth at 50 no more dangerous than at 40
Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) and Soroka University Medical Center researchers have determined that it is as safe to give birth after age 50 as age 40 without endangering the mother or the baby.
The paper was recently presented at the Society for Maternal and Fetal Medicine 39th Annual Pregnancy Meeting in Las Vegas.
The researchers examined the complications of pregnancies among women over the age of 50 and the question of whether women who give birth at these ages are at increased risk for both themselves and the fetus compared with younger mothers.
The researchers found that thanks to medical and technological advancements – including extracellular fertilization and egg donation – the age at which a woman can give birth has gradually increased.
The team included: Dr. Eyal Sheiner, director of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Soroka and vice dean for student affairs at BGU’s Faculty of Health Sciences (FOHS); Dr. Gali Priante and Dr. Erez Halevy of Soroka and the BGU FOHS, and Dr. Tamar Wainstock, of BGU’s School of Public Health in FOHS.
“It turns out that 40 is the new 50 when it comes to childbirth,” according to Dr. Sheiner. “There is no doubt that medical teams will need to handle increasing numbers of birth for women over age 50.”
The study included 242,771 deliveries at Soroka, of which 234,824 (96.7 percent) occurred in women younger than 40. The rest occurred in women from age 40 to 50 and older. It focused mainly on whether women found themselves during pregnancy and childbirth with complications such as premature births, gestational diabetes, hypertension, and cesarean sections. The study also examined if the newborn suffered from poor physical condition, mortality or distress during labor.
The researchers concluded that all complications were higher among women over 40 who gave birth to children compared with those who gave birth below that age. Remarkably, there was no escalation of complications in women over the age of 50, compared with women who gave birth between the ages of 40 and 50. Dr. Sheiner still advises to treat the pregnancies of women over the age of 40 as high-risk, and even more so, the pregnancies of women over 50. Special emphasis should be placed on tracking fasting glucose and pregnant blood pressure for early detection of complications. — From Ben-Gurion University
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AJ Congress meets with ranking member of House Foreign Affairs Committee
Jack Rosen, president of the American Jewish Congress, last week hosted U.S. Representative Michael McCaul (R-TX-10), who currently is the Ranking Member in the critical House Foreign Affairs Committee.
Congressman McCaul expressed his support for the Jewish community and condemned in the strongest terms anti-Semitism – including from elected officials on the far-left and far-right.
Among the various topics discussed were the developments in the Middle East and the multiple threats that Israel faces, both directly along its borders and across the region. The conversation focused in particular on the complex and unpredictable situation in Syria.
Rosen introduced Dani Dayan, the Consul-General of Israel in New York, to Congressman McCaul at that meeting. The Congressman reiterated his support for Israel and emphasized the fact that Israel is and must remain a bipartisan issue, as the greatest ally of the United States in the Middle East and the only democracy in the region. — From American Jewish Committee
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Paramedic group United Hatzalah opens branch in Colombia
United Hatzalah is expanding its operations to include a new country, Colombia. Adding to the organization’s international branches which already include Panama, Ukraine and Jersey City in the United States, Colombia is set to become the fifth country in the world to have emergency medical first responders rushing to save lives before ambulances can arrive.
Michael Andorson, began the new chapter, which he called United Rescue Colombia, in the Colombian city of Cartagena with a handful of responders on motorcycles. URC has been following United Hatzalah’s model and was providing emergency medical services free of charge to anyone who needs assistance. Now that Israel’s team is joining in the efforts, that ethos will stay the exact same. “This project is so important for Colombia as a country and for the Colombian people. People here are dying every day waiting for an ambulance as the average ambulance response time in the capital of Bogota is 45 minutes. The fact that we are joining forces with United Hatzalah is going to change the lives of a lot of people. It is a really big thing for everyone here.”
The new joint organization will take on the name of United Hatzalah and will continue to use ambucycles to respond to medical emergencies throughout Cartagena but will also expand to begin operations in the capital of Bogota in the coming weeks. United Hatzalah has committed to sending vests, technology and equipment from Israel to both the existing chapter and the new one. “Our mission is to save lives wherever needed across the globe. We are happy to partner with the team already established in Cartagena and expand this project much further so that we can provide emergency medical services to all residents of Colombia,” said Founder and President of United Hatzalah Eli Beer. — From United Hatzalah
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Preceding items culled from news releases. Please send yours to editor@sdjewishworld.com