“Naturally, it (the health of mothers) decreases (after that age). That is why women should not get pregnant above that age," BKKBN head Hasto Wardoyo said here on Tuesday.
If a woman beyond the age of 30 gets pregnant, the risks during pregnancy are even higher, he added.
At that age, the fetus may develop congenital abnormalities or defects, such as impaired function of certain organs or body parts, caused by disorders during its growth and development in the womb.
"Moreover, if (the mother's age is) near 40 years, it can cause congenital abnormalities or congenital disabilities in the child; it can also increase chromosomal abnormalities," he informed.
A good age get to get pregnant is over 20 years old, while the ideal age for marriage is 21 years for women and 25 years for men, he said.
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According to him, humans peak biologically in the 32–35 age range. After that, there is a decline in the optimal functioning of many cells or components in the body.
The BKKBN also suggested keeping a minimum interval of three years between pregnancies and limiting the number of children to just two.
He asked all families to use Mother's Day, which will fall on December 22, 2022, as an opportunity to improve the monitoring of mothers' physical and mental health.
To boost the campaign against pregnancy at an older age, BKKBN is continuing to promote comprehensive programs on reproductive health and its impacts.
Wardoyo said that the more people understand the importance of reproductive health, the more they will avoid things such as getting pregnant at an older age, practicing free love, and entering into child marriage.
He then called for help from the media, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and schools for improving public awareness on reproductive health, which could help prevent premarital pregnancies, among other things.
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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma, Raka Adji
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
