The number of babies born to mothers aged 45 or older has risen by a third in the last six years. According to new data from the Office of National Statistics, this is also far more prevalent in London than the rest of the country.
"The age at which women are having their first baby has increased over the past few decades due to a variety of social, professional and financial factors, and this trend is unlikely to be reversed," Professor Adam Balen, the chairman of the British Fertility Society said.
London saw the most babies born to mothers aged 45 or more, seven times higher than in the North East. In the capital, 2.8 births per 1,000 were women aged 45 or older. This compared to just 0.5 in Wales and 0.4 in the North East.
"Women have every right to give birth later in life, and we support that," Jacque Gerrard, the director for England at the Royal College of Midwives said. "But typically older women will require more care during pregnancy, and that means more midwives are needed."
However, despite the potential health risks of having children at this stage, there are a number of benefits, including, "having more life skills, more confidence in their abilities and a tendency to be more financially stable."
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