The warning by a fertility expert that Irish women, who are leaving it later than any other nationality in Europe to have children, will face fertility challenges as a result is, on the face of it, a stark one.
A 2015 Eurostat survey found the majority of women in the EU give birth to their first child in their 20s whereas in Ireland more than 50 per cent of women were giving birth to their first child in their 30s. Ireland is also above the EU average for first-time mothers in their 40s.
From a purely biological standpoint, Dr Simon Fishel’s concerns make sense: women in their mid-30s may experience more complications when pregnant; and the risk of chromosomal disorders is greater for women conceiving later in life. The occurrence of Down syndrome, for example, rises from one in 700 pregnancies for a 32 year-old mother to one in 67 for an expectant woman who is 42. Dr Fishel also suggested that modern society was hard for women because of financial and career pressures as well as the burden of getting on the property ladder.
The issue of fertility deserves a much wider canvas than a solely biological one. Nor can – or should – it be framed purely as a woman’s “problem”. Notwithstanding men’s freedom from the shackles of a ticking biological clock, they must get involved in decisions about family planning. That doesn’t mean – as can be the case – retreating from a relationship when a baby is mentioned.
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There is also an urgent need for a broader societal debate on the issue. What value is attached to motherhood and mothering in their own right? Why do women still experience discrimination in the workplace when they take maternity leave? Is it acceptable for many women who choose to have a baby in their 20s to face an income and promotional glass ceiling for the rest of their working lives? Why have we chosen not to put in place a more effective childcare system? How important is the issue of an ageing society in a debate on fertility? And it would be helpful too if the medical profession took a less mechanistic view of fertility issues as part of this debate.