D#15, HW#2 -- reflective cover letter

Summer Bretz

Eng. 102 Section#24271

5 December 2009

WP#4 Cover Letter

Dear Reader,

How much can an English student learn in 15 weeks? Everyone learns at their own pace and through different methods. Personally, online learning is a very effective method, but I understand that it isn’t for everyone. As a full time working mom and student I chose to take my English 102 class online. The guidelines have been very clear from the beginning. Each assignment was another step toward course proficiency and personal goals. This course was essential for my education and accomplishing the course competencies outlined for me was vital. Working on writing for a specific rhetorical contexts, organizing my writing, and using feedback from peers and instructors has helped me to become a better writer.

The very first course competency listed for English 102 students is to write for specific rhetorical context, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing’s ethical, political, and cultural implications. I began to understand this during week 3 through my homework assignments. I learned that the purpose of WP#1 will be to interest the audience in the research question, give personal circumstance as to why it’s important, and to still have a specific purpose to the research and writing. I demonstrated my knowledge during week 14 through WP#3. I am proud of this writing assignment because I feel that I was able to present my specific research in a context that was sensitive to both ethical and cultural implications, as well as informing my audience. There is always room to grow in writing. I would like to continue to refine my writing and continue to specify my topics. This particular skill can be used in all writing including additional classes or even e-mails.

Another skill and course competency that is valuable is to organize writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence an logical development appropriate to a specific writing context. Through homework assignment #8 in week 2 I was able to compare resources and understand the importance of organization. I used this course criteria to help me with all of my writing projects (WP#1, 2, and 3). I still have more to learn about this feature because in WP#1 was unclear and I think that had to do with my organization; however, I have already improved and continue to focus on this aspect of my writing. I could use this goal in future papers and proposals that I may have for classes or for work.

Regardless of what kind of assignment that is being written a really good technique to follow is to use feedback obtained through peer review, instructor comments, and/or other sources to revise writing. I think this aspect of the course helped me the most with being a better writer. Having another person look at your writing lets you see your writing through your audiences eyes. I learned that if others' comments were good or bad it always helped to make my writing better. I learned this through D#5, HW#9, and demonstrated it through both WP#1 and WP#2. The way that this class is set up it is very easy to acquire peer review and feedback. I still need to be more comfortable with asking for this help without the support of the class to make me do it. I think this aspect of writing could be very useful for assignments or a resume.

One course competency that I will need to do a significant amount of work on for future classes is to identify, select, and use an appropriate documentation style to maintain academic integrity. This will be important in all academic writing and I will continue to read my book and use it as a guide to become better at this. My WP#2 suffered a lot because I was not able to grasp this concept. I learn about documentation style through WP#2, but I haven't mastered it yet. I know that until I grasp this my writing will suffer so I will continue to work on this particular aspect.

As a whole, I know that I am a better writer than I was before I started this class. Through organization, specifying my research, and listening to my peer reviews and instructor's comments I have grown into a more respectable writer. I may not have every course competency completely mastered, but I am determined to continue to grow and better my writing. I will use my current knowledge as a stepping stone to learning more. I appreciate the opportunity to advance my education and feel that this class has been beneficial to my future.

D#15, HW#2 -- Final WP#3 w/suggestions for revision

Suggestions for revision:
I would revise the length of my paper. The amount of information and definition of medical terminology is excessive and took a lot of explanation. I could have added more information, but I did not want to overwhelm my audience or distract from my specific research question. If i had more time I believe I could have added more information and kept my paper organized, but with the time given I thought it would just take away from it. A specific course competency I would like to have worked on through this project would be to use feedback obtained through peer review, instructor comments, and/or other sources to revise writing. Unfortunately time was an issue for this revision as well. I have not received comments to help with revisions on this project.



28 November 2009 English 102 Section# 24271 Bretz-WP#3-Final

Is Pregnancy an Option After 35?

The ability to create life and start a family is not a decision thatis taken lightly by most women or men. There are several risks and requirements that pregnant women face. They have to constantly monitor their diet and water intake to make sure that the baby is getting all of the nutrients that are required. There are risks involved with any pregnancy such as high blood pressure, low birth weight, miscarriages, and moms may develop diabetes. Delivery has it’s risks as well; such as, cesarean deliveries are much harder on a woman’s body than a natural delivery. Once delivery happens there are many possibilities of birth defects for the baby as well. All of these risks increase when women are in their 30’s, more specifically after 35.

The number of women waiting until later in life to have children rises every year. Women are exploring career options or getting a degree before they settle down. This new trend sounds like the perfect scenario. Women can enjoy their 20’s, go to college, have a career, and then be more stable in life when they start a family. Unfortunately, there are many downsides to this theory. Women experience many more complications during pregnancy after the age of 30 than women in their 20’s do. The controversy around this subject is whether it is smart to wait to have children or if it’s just sehlfish. Women over the age of 35 should be aware of the high risks. Doctors title pregnant patients over the age of 30 as having advanced maternal age. They say that risks increase after the age of 35 and even if a woman is healthy chromosomal diseases in newborns are increased.

With all of the risks involved in pregnancy for women over 30, they should be aware of some of the following important medical terms. Some risk factors for older moms include diabetes, hypertension, and preeclampsia. Hypertension and preeclampsia are both shown by extensive swelling in pregnant women that increases rapidly in all parts of the body. The only way to stop the swelling is for the baby to be delivered. Preeclampsia in pregnant women can also be the cause of increased heart disease in women. Heart disease is also increased due to advanced maternal age. Kidney problems can also complicate a pregnancy, but is more likely in women that have had prior kidney issues. The kidney problems by themselves can create a lot of other risks; such as, hypertension, high blood pressure, premature labor, and miscarriage. Another heightened risk is abruptio placenta. This is the separation of the placenta (the organ that nourishes the fetus) from the site of uterine implantation before delivery of the fetus. Once this organ is detached from the mother the baby can no longer receive nutrients from it. In a normal pregnancy the placenta does not detach until the baby is being delivered. Placenta previa a complication of pregnancy in which the placenta (organ that nourishes baby) grows in the lowest part of the womb (uterus) and covers all or part of the opening to the cervix. This causes blood loss and bed rest, but the placenta generally will move for delivery. Cesarean section is delivery through surgery due to complications with vaginal delivery. Cancer and maternal death are also increased due to advanced maternal age. Most complications are related to age because as time goes on women are likely to have medical problems before becoming pregnant, and each ailment gives way to another.

Ailments for older moms are not the only thing to be worried about in regards to advanced maternal age. Babies that were conceived to mothers over the age of 30 also are at an increased rate of several medical complications. Mother’s should be aware that risks of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy are increased. An ectopic pregnancy is an abnormal pregnancy where the baby is growing outside the uterus and the baby cannot survive. Congenital abnormalities and Chromosomal anomalies are also significantly increased in babies born to older moms. Congenital abnormalities are malformations or birth defects that can affect limbs, heart, and nervous system. Examples of chromosomal anomalies are Turner syndrome and Klinefelter syndrome. Turner syndrome is found in girls that have only one X chromosome instead of two. These girls are often shorter and will never begin puberty without hormone injections. Klinefelter syndrome is found in boys that have two X chromosomes as well as a Y chromosome. Theses boys are often tall and have average intelligence, but may have trouble with judgment and impulse control. Both of these syndromes have symptoms of sterility (sharedjourney.com). The most common chromosomal abnormality is downs syndrome. Preterm labor and delivery, stillbirth, and fetal growth restrictions are additional heightened risks for babies of mothers of the age of 30. Doctors will want to monitor these moms and babies closely with additional appointments and testing.

Unfortunately, additional monitoring cannot foresee some complication with delivery such as a cesarean section. Cesarean Section can be a way of delivery for any women if there are complications with delivery. There are many reasons why cesarean delivery may be necessary, and the purpose is to get the baby out of any distress. Recovery for mothers after a cesarean delivery takes longer than a traditional vaginal delivery. Losing “baby weight” may also take longer due to exercise and diet restrictions given by the doctor. A study done by Jeffrey Peipert MD and Michael Bracken PhD in 1993 concludes that “Maternal age appears to be an independent risk factor for cesarean delivery. The reasons for this clinical, important, and statistically significant increased risk are unclear but may be due to physician and patient concern over pregnancy outcome in older women.”

Anyone planning on waiting until their 30’s to have children should also be aware of the increased risk of preterm delivery. Preterm delivery is a huge concern regarding the babies’ health. 40 weeks is the standard length of time for pregnancy. Any delivery before 40 weeks is considered preterm delivery. If a baby is born before 36 weeks their lungs haven’t fully developed. If a baby is born any time before the 36 week mark the baby is at risk for low birth weight. If a baby is not big enough to survive or it’s organs are not developed yet they will suffer and possibly die. Studies show that 6% of mothers ages 26-30 have low birth weight babies and 8% preterm delivery. Women ages 31-35 have a 6.8% chance of having a low birth weight baby and a 9.2% chance of preterm delivery. Statistics jump to 7.9% for low birth weight babies of mothers 36-40, and 10.9% chance of preterm delivery. (Delpisheh, Ali PhD; Brabin, Loretta PhD; Attia, Eman MD; Brabin, Bernard FRCP©. P.965). Even if a baby can make it through the pregnancy process and through the delivery process they can still have life altering disorders.

Chances of having babies with chromosomal abnormalities are increased for older mothers. Down syndrome is the most common type of chromosomal abnormality found in mothers of advanced maternal age. A study found on the MUSC Children’s Hospital website shows that a woman’s chances of having a baby with down syndrome between ages 25-29 are 1 in 1,100 and 1 in 385 children with any abnormality. Women at age 35 have a 1 in 350 chance of having a baby with down syndrome and a 1 in 178 chance of having a baby with any abnormality. Chances heighten more giving 1 in 100 chances of having a baby with down syndrome and 1 in 63 chance of having a baby with any abnormality for mothers at age 40. These risks are real and important to pay attention to. A lot of people tend to have the “it can’t happen to me” mind set. However, it can happen and it may be something that some families can handle or it may not. This is why it is very smart to educate couples, and for them to have a realistic expectation about waiting until later in life to start their family.

Current textbook descriptions of down syndrome give statistics stating that women under the age of 30 have a 1 in 3,000chance of having a baby with down syndrome, but it jumps significantly to 1 in 300 in the 35- 39 age group and 1 to 9 at age 48. (Tortora, Gerard; Derrickson, Bryan; p. 1169). Down syndrome is characterized and presented as a flat profile, broad skull, slanted eyes, large tongue, and a round head as the facial features. Sexual maturity is rarely attained in people with down syndrome. Life expectancy is shorter due to kidney defects, suppressed immune system, and malformations of the heart, ears, hands, and feet. (Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, p. 1169). Everyone wishes when they are expecting are to have a happy and healthy baby. Giving children a healthy future should also be a worry that parents should look at before selfishly conceiving children at risk of birth defects, chromosome disorders and possibly no future at all.

Some babies aren’t even strong enough to survive from the beginning. Fetal death is also listed as a risk of having a baby at a later age in life. A study done by Ruth Fretts, MD; and Robert Usher MD states that “Women 35 years of age or older had approximately one in 440 births end in unexplained fetal death, compared to one in 1,000 births for women younger that 35.” What contributes to causes in fetal death are unknown; leaving the prevention unknown as well. Doctors can do advanced screenings and testing, but without any explanation or medical study there is no way to prevent fetal death.

Other arguments would say that as doctors are making additional advancements in medicine that these issues or risks would decrease; however, a study on advanced maternal age was done in 1985 concluding that women of advanced maternal age had no significant advanced risks than younger women. Whereas, every other statistic found in this paper and throughout all current data show that the risks are increased overall. This actually shows that as medical advancements are being made doctors are not finding additional ways to decrease risks, but are finding that the risks are more prominent than ever. Women can be happy and live full lives, but they need to educate themselves on family planning before waiting too long to start their family. Unfortunately, women can be the healthiest person possible, but there is no fighting with nature. After a certain age regardless of how well anyone has taken care of themselves, the miles of wear and tear are still there, which lead to small ailments, that lend themselves to bigger ailments. It is undeniable that age is the factor to heightened risks of pregnancy and delivery. Women need to educate themselves on what is best for their unborn children and take time into consideration to give children the best possible outcomes for health, and life, and future,

D#15, HW#2 -- Final WP#2 w/suggestions for revision

Suggestions for revision:
I would revise my citations if I were going to resubmit this paper. My links did not work and I would pay more attention to making sure that they highlighted properly so that my audience could link to them. I would also pay more attention in general. As you can see when I revised my draft I over looked changing my heading to say final draft. These kinds of silly mistakes are unacceptable at a college level. In working on my documentation I would have a better understanding of identifying, selecting and using an appropriate documentation style to maintain academic integrity. Both of these adjustment would make my paper more accessable to my audience and make my sources more reliable.

English 102 Section # 24271 10/17/2009 Rough Draft
Should a Pregnancy be Termed “High Risk” Based on a Maternal Age of Over 30?

Research shows that women in their 30’s are more likely to havecomplications with their pregnancy, delivery, and with their newborns. Many women are waiting until later in life to start their families, but is this trend a high risk for our children and these mothers? Some opinions show that starting a family later in life is beneficial. These moms are generally more stable in all areas of life, giving their children more patients, stability, and financial benefits. Yet, other opinions are that it is too high of a risk for babies and mothers. Older moms have a higher rate of complications with delivery resulting in cesarean sections instead of natural deliveries. Their babies are also more likely to have chromosomal disorders. Doctors have done several studies on how age affects these outcomes and how to give special care to expectant mothers over the age of 30. A Woman’s Age and High Risk Pregnancy. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://babymed.com/Blog/Blog.aspx?9My first source comes from an article titled A Woman’s Age and High Risk Pregnancy, found on babymed.com. This article sates “There is no precise age beyond which a woman becomes more susceptible to pregnancy complications.” The purpose of this article is too help expectant older moms to understand the potential risks and complications that may result in pregnancy due to advanced maternal age; however, says that there is no exact age that distinguishes the title of advanced maternal age. The audience that this is written for is expectant mothers. The author of this article is anonymous, but the web site it is found on is used as a medical reference tool for expectant mothers. This article was found via the internet and was posted in 2005, so there may be more current information. Even though this source is in favor of older mothers conceiving it does not leave out the facts. “A woman under 30 has a miscarriage risk of about 10%, while woman over 20 has a 55% miscarriage risk. The increase in the mother’s age increased the risk for fetal malformations and other chromosomal anomalies such as down syndrome.” (A Woman’s Age and High Risk pregnancy). I think this source is a good middle ground for my paper. It gives good view points to both sides of the spectrum. ( 2009 February 16). Advanced Maternal Age - What’s in a name? Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://blogs.musc.edu/womenspeak/post/2009/02/advanced-maternal-age-Another article related to this topic is Advanced maternal Age - What’s in a name? was found through a women speak blog, but was original posted through the MUSC health. The author is anonymous, but there are statistics from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists within the article. This source also has a positive outlook for older mothers stating that the label of advanced maternal age is outdated and was originally termed because 30 was the age that doctors offered amniocentesis, which is no longer the case. This source states that age related complications do not apply until women are in their 40’s. This author does leave out what those complications may be or any exact statistics. This article was posted this year and is very current, but lacks as much credibility as the others may have. Kirz, DS., Dorchester W., Freeman RK. (1985 May 1). Advanced Maternal Age: the mature gravida. PubMed. Retrieved October 2, 2009, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3993714Advanced maternal Age- the Mature Gravida is another source found online. This source is a three year study of women 35 years and older. This is another article that would be on the pro side of the argument for older mothers. It shows that the differences between delivering mother’s in their 20’s and 30’s were insignificant. This source is very different than any others in my research. This research is from 1985, but even though it is older I feel that it is still significant to my research question. It helps to make my topic better-rounded by giving another perspective. Raquel. (2009, August 5). Cancer Risk and Advanced Maternal Age. Battling For Health. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from http://battlingforhealth.com/2009/08/cancer-risk-and-advanced-maternal-age/My next source is an article titled Cancer Risk and Advanced maternal Age. This was the only study I found that approached advanced maternal age from this angle. The author does not give her credentials, but does that she is an “older mommy”. I thought this was very interesting research and it is very new. This article was published in August of 2009. This source is relevant because it brings up a whole new risk for older mothers to worry about before deciding to start their family. This research states “The likelihood of children under 15 having one of the most common forms of childhood cancer (Leukemia, lymphoma, central nervous system tumor, neuroblastoma, Wilms’ tumor, bone cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma) is 1 in 435. The odds, however, seem to be higher in children of older mommies.” This source does leave out any of the other risks or complications due to advanced maternal age. This article focuses specifically to the links between cancer in children under 15 and advanced maternal age. Fretts, Ruth C. MD,. Usher, Robert H. MD. (1997). Causes of Fetal Death in Women of Advanced Maternal Age. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 89(1). Retrieved October 13, 2009, from http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/abstract/1997/The next resource I have was found through The American College of Obstetricians and gynecologists. The title is Causes of Fetal Death in Women of Advanced Maternal Age. This source relates the negative side of waiting until your 30’s to start having children. It states “From 1978 to 1995, older women were at a statistically significant increased risk for “unexplained” fetal death.” There are two authors, both of which are MD’s. The intended audience is other doctors or researchers. This resource is very detailed and contains many useful statistics. This article was published in 1997 and I believe it is still accurate and up to date. Pregnancy Over age 30. MUSC Children’s Hospital. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://www.musckids.com/health_library/hrprgnant/over30/htmPregnancy Over Age 30 is an article found online through MUSC children’s hospital. This article is anonymous and gives several facts regarding chromosomal abnormalities, and a few on risks of miscarriage and maternal age. This source focuses on chromosome abnormalities such as down syndrome. There is no date given for publication. This article is still useful for my research because it is the best source found specifically focusing on chromosomal abnormalities, which is a huge concern for mothers and doctors in regards to advanced maternal age. Delpisheh, A., Brabin, L., Attia, E., Brabin B. (2008). Pregnancy Late in Life: A hospital-Based Study of Birth Outcomes. Journal of Women’s Health, 17(6), 965-970. Retrieved September 2009, from Academic Premier database.Pregnancy Late in Life: A Hospital-Based Study of Birth Outcomes is an article from the Journal of Women’s Health. This source was written by four Ph.D.’s., it was written in 2008. This research is current and provides a lot of statistics regarding the outcomes of deliveries from women 30 and older regarding low birth weight and preterm deliveries. The format that this article is written in, is a scientific report. This source provides many graphs and charts to make the information easy for the reader to understand. The audience intended for this article would be doctor and other scientists. This source is credible and I think it is one of the best sources that I can use for my article. Tortora, Gerard., Derrickson, Bryan. (2009). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 12th Edition. Disorders: Homeostatic Imbalances (pp. 1169). New York: Wiley.The final source used for my research is my anatomy text book, Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. This source has two authors and is very reputable. This textbook gives facts regarding down syndrome, which is one of the risk for babies born to mothers that are older. It states “Older women are more likely to have a down syndrome baby. The chance of having a baby with this syndrome, which is less than one in 3,000 for women under age 30, increases to one in 300 in the 35-39 age groups and to one in nine ate age 48.” (1169). This textbook is the 12th edition and the newest one, it was published in 2009. This section is specifically about down syndrome, but the risks of this chromosomal disorder in regards to advanced maternal age is so significant that there is a section highlighted for this purpose.I believe my research is well organized and well rounded. I have three articles that are supportive of older mothers. I also have two that give both sides of the story. I have 3 that give pretty harsh research about serious complications that mothers are putting themselves and their babies at risk for. The accumulative research shows that the age for “advanced maternal age” has gone up to 35 instead of 30 years-old. I think that I have enough research to provide a good paper and sufficient answers to my research question.

D#15, HW#2 -- final WP#1 w/suggestions for revision

Suggestions for revision:
If I were to revise this paper for resubmission I would make my plan clearer; this was pointed out to me by my instructor. I paid a lot of attention to making this paper relatable. I included a lot of personal narrative to show why this topic could interest my audience. Unfortunately, my research plan was lost in my story. I would organize my paper into two parts: first, why my paper was important and second, what research would help answer my question. I would also make my research question clear at the beginning. I think this adjustment would help me to achieve my course competency of organizing my writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence and logical development appropriate to a specific writing context.

Eng. 102 Section#24271 10/03/09 WP#1 final draft
Family Planning
When is the right time to start planning for a family? Some people always know that they want to have children at some point in their lives. Other people don’t realize that a family is what they want until later in life, when they meet their partner, or after achieving career goals. A lot of women are waiting until later in life to conceive. In theory, this appears to be a good idea, later in life you could be more mature, financially stable, and settled. Due to technological advancements and progress in medicine our bodies are staying healthy and active, well into our 60’s for some people. This observation leads to my question: Should a pregnancy be termed as “high risk” based on a maternal age of over 30?
Doctor’s have expressed that pregnancy for women 30 and older is considered a high risk. A hospital-based study found in the Journal of Women’s Health states “In the United States, fetal, anomalies, delivery prior to 34 weeks, and stillbirth have been reported to be twice as common in advanced age women as in young or mature adults…..” (Ph.D., Brabin, Loretta, 965) Any pregnancy under the age of 20 is also considered a high risk. The concept of a risky pregnancy in any woman under 20-years-old is because their body hasn’t had a chance to completely develop. On the other hand, a woman in her 30’s is old enough that her body has matured, but is definitely not old enough that her body is deteriorating. Yet doctors are more concerned about diabetes, maternal weight, still births, and chromosomal diseases in older pregnant women and their babies. The medical term for this age defined high risk is “advanced maternal age”. Women in their 30’s are just as capable as women in their 20’s and in some cases even more healthy. I would like to know why pregnant women in their 30’s have to endure extra testing during pregnancy and extra pressure to start families at a younger age.
Pregnancy is a topic that has always interested me, because it’s such a unique and interesting process. I was pregnant with my daughter when I was 17-years-old, which technically made my pregnancy a high risk. The doctor never even addressed this issue with me, which is why I’m not sure if it is something to worry about. Since I was so young when I had her I never thought to ask questions regarding high risk and I never thought about having any more children soon afterwards. My life revolved around caring for my daughter and making a life for us. It has been just the two of us since she was a year old and being a single mom can be a struggle. Keeping up with our life was busy and hectic, but fulfilling enough that I never considered having anymore children. I was always very happy with life being just the two of us.
Around the time that my daughter was turning six and in kindergarten; my biological clock slowly started ticking. My daughter was also starting to ask questions, and wonder why she didn’t have any brothers or sisters. Then both of my sisters became pregnant, and my internal clock started blaring instead of quietly ticking. I started doing the math on how much time I had to have more children. I knew that after 30-years-old pregnancy was considered a high risk. This gave me six years. “Yikes!” I had six years to meet a guy, possibly make a relationship out of it, get engaged, get married, get pregnant, and have a baby! This plan was clearly unrealistic and a little crazy, since you can’t plan life that way. So I started to wonder if maybe my life was supposed to be just me and my daughter, and maybe I was never meant to have more children.
Now I am down to four years until I turn 30; I know I’m not going to make that deadline. My purpose for this research is to find out if a high risk pregnancy after 30 is more of a precaution, or is it serious enough to believe that I am out of time. I want to inform readers and myself on the realistic expectations of pregnancy at a later age. I want to understand what the options are in family planning for older couples. I also would like to inform women of what to look ahead to concerning the risk on their own bodies; as well as, the risks presented to their baby. My audience should expect many statistics exploring these questions, and as much research as I can find regarding both sides of the issue.Women are the main focus of my audience because pregnancy is something they personally go through. However, I understand that the class as whole is my audience and I believe that men can also benefit from this research. Pregnancy might not be a primary thought in anyone’s mind right now, but at some point, everyone is going to think about if it’s something they want, or when is a good time. If pregnancy isn’t something my audience is concerned with personally; everyone has a family member or a friend that will want to become pregnant at some point. I think this information could be useful when considering family planning for the teacher and the entire class.I recognize that in order to give my audience as much accurate information as possible it will take time to research. My limitations in research are finding new information, so I plan to do a lot of internet research. Medicine and science change so frequently that I believe the internet will have the most updated research available. I would also like to do some investigating on chat boards specifically created for moms, and find out what their opinions are of “advanced maternal age”. I want to know their personal experiences, and find out how high risk pregnancies differed from an optimal pregnancy. Pregnancy can always be a risk, and every mother has her own story.Citation Delpisheh, Ali, (2008). Pregnancy Late in Life: A Hospital-Based Study on Birth Outcomes. Journal of Women's Health, 17(6), 965-970. Retrieved from Academic Search Premier Database.

D#14, HW#6 -- Course competencies for deadline reflections

HW#6

• Write for specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing's ethical, political, and cultural implications

D#3, HW#12

• Organize writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence and logical development appropriate to a specific writing context

D#2, HW#8

• Use appropriate conventions in writing, including consistent voice, tone, diction, grammar, and mechanics.

• Find, evaluate, select, and synthesize both online and print sources that examine a topic from multiple perspectives

• Find, evaluate, select, and synthesize both online and print sources that examine a topic from multiple perspectives

• Identify, select and use an appropriate documentation style to maintain academic integrity

• Use feedback obtained through peer review, instructor comments, and/or other sources to revise writing

D#5, HW#9

• Assess one's own writing strengths and identify strategies for improvement through instructor conference, portfolio review, written evaluation, and/or other methods.

• Generate, format, and edit writing using appropriate technologies.

D#6, HW#13

D#14, HW#5 -- course competencies on writing project reflections

HW#5

• Write for specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing's ethical, political, and cultural implications

D#14, HW#4

• Organize writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence and logical development appropriate to a specific writing context

D#14, HW#4
D#10, HW#14
D#6, HW#11

• Use appropriate conventions in writing, including consistent voice, tone, diction, grammar, and mechanics.

• Find, evaluate, select, and synthesize both online and print sources that examine a topic from multiple perspectives

• Find, evaluate, select, and synthesize both online and print sources that examine a topic from multiple perspectives

• Identify, select and use an appropriate documentation style to maintain academic integrity

• Use feedback obtained through peer review, instructor comments, and/or other sources to revise writing

• Assess one's own writing strengths and identify strategies for improvement through instructor conference, portfolio review, written evaluation, and/or other methods.

• Generate, format, and edit writing using appropriate technologies.
  

D#14, HW#4 -- WP#3 reflection

HW#4

• Steps I used to complete this project were to sort out all of the data that I had required to see what was important and reliable. My next project I would have better time managment.
  
• I am most proud of the additions that I made to my rough draft because my rough draft was so rough and I had writers block pretty bad about how to pull everything together before. Now I think I did pretty well considering how bad it was before. I needed to address my transitions mostly. One of the assignments from deadline 13 was really helpful for transitions.
• My turnitin shows that the instructor will not allow me to view the originality report for this assignment so I cannot answer this bullet point
• I wanted to improve on bringing all of my data together and presenting it correctly. I feel that I improved on this, but haven't mastered it yet. I would continue to work on this aspect as well as my citations that always need work.
• Organize writing to support a central idea through unity and Write for specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing's ethical, political, and cultural implications are course outcomes that I worked toward during this writing project. I do feel that I achieved the competencies. My paper involved specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience and writer, as well as the writing's ethical, political, and cultural implications. On my next project I would like to work on selecting an appropriate documentation style

D#14, HW#2 -- Editing strategies

HW#2

From the powa.org site I chose edit with a partner. I think that this helped a lot because I am so invested in the project that sometimes I knew what I meant, but it was unclear to someone else. I also used the concentration is key method on the daily writing tips site. Usually I like to have a little background noise going on when I study, but I turned everything off and I even made my dog get off of my lap and sleep somewhere else for a little while. I think both of these tips helped to get my paper on track.

D#13, HW#5 -- Grammar assignment #6

HW#5

I focused on the "dangling participle" found on the copy blogger website. I also reviewed dangling modifiers on the purdue owl site. I think these are helpful to me because I often write as if I'm talking and misplace words.

Original:
Fetal death is also listed as a risk of having a baby at a later age in life. A study done by Ruth Fretts, MD; and Robert Usher MD state that “Women 35 years of age or older had approximately one in 440 births end in unexplained fetal death, compared to one in 1,000 births for women younger that 35.” What contributes to causes in fetal death are unknown; leaving the prevention unknown as well. Doctors can do advanced screenings and testing, but without any explanation or medical study there is no way to prevent fetal death.

Revised:
Also listed as a risk from having a baby at a later age is fetal death. A study done by Ruth Fretts, MD; and Robert Usher MD state that “Women 35 years of age or older had approximately one in 440 births end in unexplained fetal death, compared to one in 1,000 births for women younger that 35.” Causes in fetal death are unknown; leaving the prevention unknown as well. Doctors can do advanced screenings and testing, but without any explanation or medical study there is no way to prevent fetal death.

D#13, HW#4 -- peer review reflection

HW#4

I did my peer review on hell if I know's rough draft for WP#3. I am really glad that I got a chance to look over her paper because I felt really lost on mine and it helped out a lot. Her paper flows a lot better than mine and I need to work on presenting the subject as a whole and make it less choppy. I don't have any reviews on my own draft yet (I know we are all struggling here at the end a little) but I will be sure to keep checking them for more ways to revise my final draft. I also have not had very much luck with the turnitin website this semester. My labtop is not agreeing with it so I will have to save my rough draft to a thumb drive and get it over to another computer as soon as one is accesable to me.

D#13, HW#3 -- peer review

HW#3

I peer reviewed hell if I know D#12, HW#8. She did an awesome job. I could not do a second peer review because there was not another class mate with one posted.

D#13, HW#2 -- paragraph analysis

HW#2

• What is the point of the paragraph?
P1: To introduce the subject
P2: This introduces the argument and my claim
P3: To introduce all of the risks and explain some of the more unknown terms
P4: This gives a specific risk and gives the statistics attached to it
P5: This gives a specific risk and gives the statistics attached to it
P6: This gives a specific risk and gives the statistics attached to it
P7: This gives a specific risk and gives the statistics attached to it
P8: This gives a specific risk and gives the statistics attached to it

• How does the paragraph function in the argument?
P1: It makes the reader aware of the subject so that they want to continue reading about the argument.
P2: It shows where I stand on the issue and gives my thesis
P3: It helps readers to understand how this argument is important
P4: It makes my statements credible
P5: It makes my statements credible
P6: It makes my statements credible
P7: It makes my statements credible
P8: It makes my statements credible

• How does the paragraph function in the paper as a whole?
P1: It introduces the subject and my claim
P2: It gives my thesis
P3: It helps the reader to understand terms that may be used later
P4: gives all the evidence that is needed to support my claim
P5: gives all the evidence that is needed to support my claim
P6: gives all the evidence that is needed to support my claim
P7: gives all the evidence that is needed to support my claim
P8: gives all the evidence that is needed to support my claim

• How does the paragraph relate to the paragraph above?
P1: There is no paragraph above it
P2: The paragraph above is an overview and this one makes it more specific
P3:specifies the risks that support my thesis
P4: It specifies a risk
P5: It specifies a risk
P6: It specifies a risk
P7: It specifies a risk
P8: It specifies a risk

• How does the paragraph relate to the paragraph below?
P1: It makes an introduction to the paragraph below
P2: It states risks are higher and the paragraph below specifies those risks
P3: this paragraph gives all the terminology needed for the next 5 paragraphs
P4: It specifies a risk
P5: It specifies a risk
P6: It specifies a risk
P7: It specifies a risk
P8: There is no paragraph below this one

• How does the paragraph transition to the paragraph above?
P1: There is no paragraph above this one
P2: There isn't a very good transition here
P3: It mimics the last sentence of the paragraph above
P4: It doesn't transition very well
P5: I need to transition better between all of the supportive paragraphs
P6: I need to transition better between all of the supportive paragraphs
P7: I need to transition better between all of the supportive paragraphs
P8: I need to transition better between all of the supportive paragraphs

• How does the paragraph transition to the paragraph below?
P1: It doesn't transition well at all
P2: It continues speaking of risks
P3: It doesn't transition very well
P4: I need to transition better between all of the supportive paragraphs
P5: I need to transition better between all of the supportive paragraphs
P6:I need to transition better between all of the supportive paragraphs
P7: I need to transition better between all of the supportive paragraphs
P8: There is no paragraph below this

D#12, HW#10 -- Reflect

I feel like none of my goals have been accomplished because I'm behind on my assignments, but I am determined to get back on track. I should be caught back up by this weeks deadline.

Blogs I commented on:
Hell if I know D#12, HW#5&7
Eng 102 D#12, HW#4&7

D#12, HW#8 -- Rough draft.

Summer Bretz
11/14/09
English 102
Section# 24271
Bretz-WP#3 rough draft

Is Pregnancy an Option After 35?

The ability to create life and start a family is not a decision that is taken lightly by most women. There are lots of risks and requirements that pregnant women face. They have to constantly monitor their diet and water intake to make sure that the baby is getting all of the nutrients that are required. There are risks involved with any pregnancy such as high blood pressure, low birth weight, miscarriages, and moms may develop diabetes. Delivery has it’s risks as well; such as, cesarean deliveries are much harder on a woman’s body than natural delivery. Once delivery happens there are many possibilities of birth defects for the baby as well.
The number of women waiting until later in life to have children rises every year. Women are exploring career options or getting a degree before they are settling down. This new trend sounds like the perfect scenario, women can enjoy their 20’s, go to college, have a career, and the n be more stable in life when they start a family. Unfortunately, there are many downsides to this theory as well. Women experience many more complications during pregnancy after the age of 30 than women in their 20’s do. The controversy revolves are if it’s smart to wait to have children or if it’s just selfish. Women over the age of 35 should be aware of the high risks because doctors say that risks increase after the age of 35 and even if a woman is healthy chromosomal diseases in newborns are increased.
Risk factors for older moms are increased chances of diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia, heart disease, kidney problems, abruptio placenta, placenta previa, cesarean section, cancer, and maternal death. Hypertension and preeclampsia are both shown by extensive swelling in the mothers that increases rapidly in all parts of the body. The only way to stop the swelling is for the baby to be delivered. Preeclampsia in pregnant women can also be the cause of the cause of increased heart disease in women. Kidney problems can complicate a pregnancy if a person already had kidney problems prior to pregnancy. The kidney problems by themselves can create a lot of other risks; such as, hypertension, high blood pressure, premature labor, and miscarriage. Abruptio placenta is the separation of the placenta (the organ that nourishes the fetus) from the site of uterine implantation before delivery of the fetus. Once this organ is detached from the mother the baby can no longer receive nutrients from it. In a normal pregnancy the placenta does not detach until the baby is being delivered. Placenta previa is a complication of pregnancy in which the placenta (organ that nourishes baby) grows in the lowest part of the womb (uterus) and covers all or part of the opening to the cervix. This causes blood loss and bed rest, but the placenta generally will move for delivery. Cesarean section is delivery through surgery due to complications with vaginal delivery. Most complications are related to age because as time goes on women are likely to have medical problems before becoming pregnant, and each ailment gives way to another.
Cesarean Section can be a way of delivery for any women if there are complications with delivery. There are many reasons why ceserean delivery may be necessary, and the purpose is to get the baby out of any distress. Recovery for mothers after a cesarean delivery takes longer than a traditional vaginal delivery. Losing “baby weight” may also take longer due to exercise and diet restrictions given by the doctor. A study done by Jeffrey Peipert MD and Michael Bracken PhD in 1993 concludes that “Maternal age appears to be an independent risk factor for cesarean delivery. The reasons for this clinical important and statistically significant increased risk are unclear but may be due to physician and patient concern over pregnancy outcome in older women.”
Preterm delivery is a huge concern regarding the babies health. 40 weeks is the standard length of time for pregnancy. Any delivery before 40 weeks is considered preterm delivery. If a baby is born before 36 weeks their lungs haven’t fully developed yet. If a baby is born any time before the 36 week mark comes the baby is at risk for low birth weight. If a baby is not big enough to survive or it’s organs are not developed yet they will suffer and possibly die. Studies show that 6% of mothers ages 26-30 have low birth weight babies and 8% preterm delivery. Women ages 31-35 have a 6.8% chance of having a low birth weight baby and 9.2% chance of preterm delivery. Statistics jump to 7.9% for low birth weight babies in mothers 36-40, and 10.9% chance of preterm delivery. (Delpisheh, Ali PhD; Brabin, Loretta PhD; Attia, Eman MD; Brabin, Bernard FRCP©. P.965)
Chances of having babies with chromosomal abnormalities are increased for older mothers. Down syndrome is the most common type of chromosomal abnormality found in mothers of advanced maternal age. A study found on the MUSC Children’s Hospital website show that a woman’s chances of having a baby with down syndrome ages 25-29 are 1 in 1,100 and 1 in 385 children with any abnormality. Women at age 35 have a 1 in 350 chance of having a baby with down syndrome and a 1 in 178 chance of having a baby with any abnormality. Chances heighten more giving 1 in 100 chance of having a baby with down syndrome and 1 in 63 chance of having a baby with any abnormality for mothers at age 40.
Current textbook descriptions of down syndrome Give statistics stating that women under the age of 30 are 1 in 3,000 and jumps significantly to 1 in 300 in the 35-39 age group and 1 to 9 at age 48. (Tortora, Gerard; Derrickson, Bryan; p. 1169). Down syndrome is characterized with flat profile, broad skull, slanted eyes, large tongue, and a round head as the facial features. Sexual maturity is rarely attained in people with down syndrome. Life expectancy is shorter due to kidney defects, suppressed immune system, and malformations of the heart, ears, hands, and feet. (Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, p. 1169).
Fetal death is also listed as a risk of having a baby at a later age in life. A study done by Ruth Fretts, MD; and Robert Usher MD state that “Women 35 years of age or older had approximately one in 440 births end in unexplained fetal death, compared to one in 1,000 births for women younger that 35.” What contributes to causes in fetal death are unknown; leaving the prevention unknown as well. Doctors can do advanced screenings and testing, but without any explanation or medical study there is no way to prevent fetal death.

D#12, HW#7 -- Decide which presentation mode is appropriate

HW#7

Purpose
*Are there requirements you must consider regarding the presentation of your research? If so, what are they?*
-I think the only requirements that regard presentation would be keeping order and clear organization to the paper.

*What will your presentation need to do in order to fulfill the original pupose of your research? Is there a presentation mode that will best meet those needs?*
-My original purpose is to inform my audience on risks of pregnancy after the age of 30. I think that organizing my topics from least important to most important will help give a clear outline but also leave the reader with important facts that they need to know.

Audience
*What expectations does your audience have for the presentation of your research?*
- My audience expects my presentation to be well researched, knowledgable, and organized.

*What media will your audience have access to?*
-Everything as far as I know

*What presentation form will reach your audience? What will they be most receptive to, and where would they be looking for your argument?*
-I think all of them would reach my audience but I think that organizing from least important to most important is best for my topic. I think they will be looking for my argument at the very beginning so that it is clear what the rest of the paper is about.

*When would your audience be interested in and/or open to hearing about your research? How would you reach your audience at that time?*
-I think that the research should be in the middle of the paper after you've gotten a chance to intoduce the subject. I think if the intoduction to the topic is creative enough it will capture the readers attention and then they will want to pay attention to the details.

*Who might be interested in your research that might not yet know about it? How would you reach that potential audience?*
-I think that a younger audience would be interested in this topic as something to keep in mind for the future, but they might not understand it's importance right now. I think the only way to reach that audience is to stress the importance of the health issues.

Topic
*What presentation format is most appropriate for your topic?*
- Least important to most important

*What presentation format is most appropriate for the argument you are making about your topic?*
-Least important to most important

*Are there aspects of your research that might be difficult to understand in an exclusively text-based presentation? How might you explain those parts of your research in a different way?*
-Some of the graphs are more helpful as graphs, but I don't think it will be a problem to explain them in text.

Author
*What media are you most familiar with? Is there a presentation format that you are unfamiliar with that you would like to learn more about?*
-I'm familiar with most types of media and also most forms of presentation format from other english classes.

*Would a combination of media present your research most effectively? Do you already know how to use them or could you enlist someone to help you use them?
-I think I would enlist classmates to help if I were to use a combination of media.

D#12, HW#6 -- Identify possible frames

HW#6

This project is based off of the conclusion assignment that was before this, that does not apply to my paper. I do understand that I need to write a conclusion and that it needs to sum up the whole paper, and it needs to be inspiring because it is the last piece that is left in the readers mind. This assignment was still helpful in though. I will remember to repeat a reference from my intro to tie everything together.

D#12, HW#5 -- develop closure

HW#5



*What issues raised in your argument need to be repeated for you audience? Is there any support offered in your argument that bears repeating?*

-Some of the risks may be repeated as they compare with other things.

*What will happen if the current situation continues as it is? What effects might impact your audience, and what effects might impact others that your audience will be concerned about? How could you demonstrate the importance of these effects?*

-The current situation can stay the way that it is. The purpose of my paper is to inform not to convince my readers to take action.

*How could you demonstrate that the current problem violates the shared values of a community?*

-In a way the dangers posed to babies could violate shared values, but I don't think anyone would ever discourage a woman from starting a family.

*Is this present issue parallel in any way to a previous situation? Are there circumstances or effects from a previous parallel situation that might spur your audience to action (perhaps because they want to avoid those effects or because a previous situation was resolved well and you'd like to see a similar resolution)?*

-I'm not trying to "spur my audience to action" so I can't really answer this one

*To which person, or group of people, should your readers address their concerns? How might you encourage them to share those concerns?*

-I would encourage them to talk to their doctors regarding their own health and family planning.

*Will this situation continue if nothing is done? If so, how will the audience be impacted?*

-Nothing needs to be done people just need to be aware of thier health as their childs and make their decisions

Free Writing

Im not sure how to freewrite for this particular assignment because I don't think it has anything to do with my paper because the purpose of my paper is to inform readers not to cause action.

D#12, HW#4 -- draft an effective introduction

HW#4

*Why is this topic important? How does it affect the audience? the community? the world?*
-This topic is important because it involves life and death and bringing children into the world. The affect on the class audience is minimal because it is a younger audience; however, this argument would be very beneficial to older women thinking of starting a family.

*What is the audience's stand on the issue? How does it differ from yours? If their perspective is different from yours, how might you show respect for their perspective so that they might read yours?*
- I think the general opinion of the audience is that age is not relevant to pregnancy risk because that was my opinion before I did the research.

*What is your authority on this topic? Who are othe major "players" that write or talk about this topic? What are their strengths and points of authority? their weaknesses?*
- My authority is that I am a mother. The major authoritative figures regarding the topic are mostly doctors and sientists. Their strengths are that they specialize in womens health and prgnancy and delivery, but their weakness may be that they are too impersonal regarding such a personal topic.

*Does your audience know the topic, or its history, well? What do they already know? What do the need to know to understand your perspective?*
-I think that my audience knows the topic of pregnancy but need more info on the history and risk factors to understand the topic of advanced maternal age.

*How long will your paper be? How complex will your argument be? Do you need to give the audience a road map to prepare them for your argument?*
-My paper will be 6 to 10 pages. My argument is pretty straight forward, I am using a lot of statstics to give a reliable opinion. I do think the audience will require a road map to fully understand the topic.

Free Writing
- This topic is important because it involves life and death and bringing children into the world. Once a person has decided to bring a child into the world or to concieve a child, then protecting it becomes the most important thing in the whole world. Even in the womb the babies' health and safety are taken into consideration before any of the mothers needs. This is why this topic is so important because it concerns the babies health, as well as the mothers. The more research done and the more aware that mothers are to all risks of pregnancy at any age; the more capable we will be to protect our unborn children.

D#12, HW#3 -- develop an outline

HW#3

My claim is that age does have an effect on risk factors during pregnancy. I am doing a scratch outline; listing my topics from least important to most important. I think this is the best format because I want the most important details at the end of my paper so they are more likely to stick with my audience.

discuss pregnancy in general
discuss why topic is controversial
state my claim
discuss risk factors
Cesarean Deliver for mothers
Low birth weight or pre term delivery for babies
Chromosomal abnormalities
text book definition for advanced maternal age
Causes of fetal death
discuss differenct view points on the subject
conclusion

D#11, HW#8 -- reflection

HW#8

The reading this week was kinda boring (sorry) I felt like it was a lot of busy work and I'm still not 100% clear on our goals for WP#3. Next week will be better! My course competencies are struggling a little bit, but my personal goals are still on track.

Blogs I commented to:
Hell if I know D#11, HW#3 & 4
Eng102 D#11, HW# 3 & 4

D#11, HW#7 -- grammar assignment #5

HW#7

I studied how to avoid plagarism on the purdue owl site. I'm hoping that it will help with my content and my citations. It gave lots of helpful tips regarding what not to do. I couldn't find this topic on the other sites, but I did find something that lined to it on the quick and dirty tips site. There was a grammar girl article on why citation is important even if it doesn't apply to plagarism. It talked about how citations don't just give other people credit it also helps the reader to learn more about what you are writing about.

D#11, HW#6 -- find additional resources

HW#6


1. List specific types of information, resources, and pieces of evidence that you would like to find to support your areas of concern.

-I think that I need more info concerning chromosomal disorders because it's a huge part of why I came to the conclustion that I have, concerning the subject. I also think I should have more general info on pregnancy in general.



2. Share your cluster map or an outline with a classmate. Ask them to identify your two weakest spots.

-Already did share on HW#5. Please feel free to give me as much feedback as you have.



3. Share your cluster map or an outline of your argument with a differnt classmate.

-Again suggestions are more than welcome from HW#5

D#11, HW#5 -- Draw a cluster map

HW#5

D#11, HW#4 -- Evaluate types of resources

HW#4

My source is Pregancy Late in Life: A Hospital-Based Study of Birth Outcomes. I would catagorize it as static and peer reviewed. I think my audience will react well to this source because it's reliable. It is peer reviewed and comes from a woman's health journal. My audience would need to know that this was written by several doctors, yes this information is included in citation. I will also need to give the site I found this on, so that they could find it if they needed. I think any proven medical study is critical because it is documented proof to my subject.

D#11, HW#3 -- Develop Evaluate Criteria

HW#3


1. Who is/are the audience/s for this research project? What do they want to know? What do they need to know?

-The class and the teacher. The want to know what my research question is and how it applies to the assignment and what I found out through the research.



2. What is the purpose of this research project? What must be conveyed for that purpose to be achieved?

-The purpose is to give conclusions to my research question. Evidence to support claim is most important.

3. How timely is this research project? What types of contemporary information must you address? What types of historical information must you address? How recent must information be to be relevant and persuasive?

- I have some older test results as part of my data, but for the most part all of my research is very up-to-date. Since testing for anything medical is continuous, it constantly changes and it is important to be recent.

4. How did you continue to narrow and focus your research question? What type of information must you find to fit within that scope? What information may be only tangentially relevant?

-I took the general topic of pregnancy and specified it to pregnancy relating to age. then, narrowed it to is age the determining factor for complications. Lots of medical research is needed. Mother's opinions may only be tangentially relevant.

5. What other elements or issues about your topic must be covered?

-Terminology and back ground information on the topic

6. What elements or issues about your topic might be interesting but not useful since they do not fit the purpose or scope of your project.

- How a younger age affects pregnancy would also be interesting, but I think it's a little off topic.

D#10, HW#15 -- Reflection

HW#15



Reading this week was a lot of work. I'm still kinda conused about WP#3, but I know it will all come together in the end. My personal goals are still on track, but not sure about my course competencies (since I'm a little lost on our 3rd paper). Next week maybe I will have more insight?



Blogs I commented to:

Muffin's thoughts:D#10, HW#3

Hell if I know: D#10,HW#3

Hell if I know:D#10, HW#6

Muffin's thoughts: D#10, HW#9

Muffin's thoughts:D#10, HW#10

D#10, HW#14 -- WP#2 reflection

HW#14

I sorted out all of my resources and determined which ones would be the most helpful and which ones had differing opinions regarding the subject. I still think that I could have organized better. On this project I'm just gonna be proud that I completed it. This paper was really difficult for me to write and I know that my citation is off, so I'm just gonna have to be happy that I tried. I understand my research more through this project, but I don't think that my writing was improved.

D#10, HW# 12 -- editing strategies

HW#12

I picked finding common errors from the purdue owl site. I think looking at common errors can always be helpful. and I also chose the read it backwards tip on the daily writing tips site for my proof reading. I think this helped alot with organization of my paper.

D#10, HW#11 -- Practice in-text citations

HW#11

Strauss concludes that article Why Many Facutly Members Aren't Excited about Technology, "the moral is that unless we show faculty members how technology can meet their needs, they won't consider using it."(Strauss,Howard, Why Many Facutly Members Aren't Excited about Technology). While studying what community college faculty needed to incorporate technology into their instruction, Quick and Davies found faculty needed time, money, software, classroom computers (professor podium), departmnent computer lab, and faculty technical support and training. In discussing how to prepare college faculty for the incoming 'Net-generation of students Clayton-Pedersen and O'Neill claim that "much of the learning technology innovation in higher education has been focused on K-12 teacher preparation and development" and that "more focus needs to be placed on preparing existing faculty for the future 'Net Generation students who will populate the twenty-first-century classroom." (Clayton-Pedersen, Alma; O'Neil, Nancy; Curricula Designed to Meet 21st-Century Expectations). They continue that call for action, claiming that "faculty's understanding of the teaching and learning power of technology needs to be increased" and "tools need to be developed to help faculty integrate technology into the curriculum." (Clayton-Pedersen, Alma; O'Neil, Nancy; Curricula Designed to Meet 21st-Century Expectations). Strauss, Quick and Davies, and Clayton-Pedersen and O'Neill demonstrate that faculty first need blatant introductions to the new technologies themselves: what they are and what they can do.

D#10, HW#10 -- Understand your warrants

HW#10



1. Does your warrant include one section for your claim and one for you reason?
yes, it includes both
2. Does your warrant sufficiently connect your reason to your claim?
Yes
3. Will you inteded audience undeniably agree with your warrant? Why or why not?
Yes, it is a statistical fact.

D#10, HW#9 -- construct an argument

HW#9

RESEARCH QUESTION: Should age be the determining factor in terming a pregnancy high risk?


ANSWER/THESIS/CLAIM: Women over the age of 35 or older should be aware of the high risks of their pregnancy./ Women over the age of 35 or older should be aware of the high risks of pregnancy because doctors say that risks increase after the age of 35 and even if you are a healthy woman chromosomal diseases in newborns are increased.


ETHOS: statistics and medical articles written by doctors


WOULD YOUR AUDIENCE FIND APPEALS BASED ON ETHOS TO BE PERSUASIVE? WHERE AND HOW WILL YOU DEMONSTRATE YOUR CEDIBILITY AND AUTHORITY AS AN AUTHOR? I believe that my audience will be most persuaded based on ethos and I think my credibility comes from my own personal investment in finding the answer and recoverying variable resources regarding the topic.


PATHOS: My topic is emotional because choices in starting a family are very personal to anyone.


WOULD YOUR AUDIENCE FIND APPEALS BASED ON PATHOS TO BE PERSUASIVE? WHERE AND HOW WILL YOU INCLUDE APPEALS TO THE AUDIENCE'S EMOTIONS? I think emotions may be persuasive to some, it depends where their at personally in their life, but I think that ethos is definately more of a factor here. I think my personal experience can be relatable for some people and would apply to pathos.


LOGOS: statisical research and science based studies.


WOULD YOUR AUDIENCE FIND APPEALS BASED ON LOGOS TO BE PERSUASIVE? WHERE AND HOW WILL YOU APPEAL TO YOUR AUDIENCE THROUGH LOGIC AND REASONING? I feel that this is a very strong part of my argument and gives the audience a greater understanding of why this is an issue.

D#10, HW#8 -- develop emotional arguments

HW#8


*How and why are you invested in this topic. What motivates you to continue researching and writing about this topic when you are tired and worn out?*
- I am invested in this topic because I would like to know if I can have children after I turn 30 or if that would be a selfish decision.

*How and Why are your audience members invested in this topic? How does this topic affect........*
They might not be, but they are taking this class so they have to listen anyway :)

*your audience members' finances?*
It doesn't

*your audience members' living situations?*
Maybe affects future living situations in regards to starting a family

*Your audience's families or close circles of friends?*
If they know anyone expecting then they can share the information to moms over 35 that are expecting so that they can be aware and healthy.

*Your audience members' employment or employment process?*
It doesn't

D#10, HW#7 -- Develop your authorial ethos

HW#7

*What is your experience with this topic?*
My experience is that I am a mother, and the rest of my experience comes from interest on the subject regarding my own family planning.

*What is your experience with your audience members?*
I don't have much experience with my audience except for the fact that they seem interested and supportive.

*What resources have you located that demonstrate authority and credibility?*
I have several referrences that give statistical data regarding the subject and most are from medical web sites or written by doctors.

*What would be most persuasive to your audience?*
The data given that shows such a huge statistical increase in risk of pregnancy over 35 would be the most credible for my audience.

D#10, HW#6 -- Draft a Thesis Statement

HW#6

*Research Question*
-Should age be the determining factor in terming a pregnancy high risk?

*Precise claim*
-Women over the age of 35 or older should be aware of the high risks of their pregnancy.

*Reasons/blueprint*
- doctors are saying that risk is minimal in until 35
-It doesn't matter how healthy a person is at an older age because chromosomal diseases are still increased.

*Complete thesis statement*
-Women over the age of 35 or older should be aware of the high risks of pregnancy because doctors say that risks increase after the age of 35 and even if you are a healthy woman chromosomal diseases in newborns are increased.

D#10, HW#5 -- Create a Cluster map

HW#5

1. What is your research question?
Should age be the determining factor in terming a pregnancy high risk?
2. Think of all of the possible answers to your research question.
yes, no, depends on medical history, only if it's not the first child
3. Narrow down the list.
yes, no
4. Consider the resources you have gathered on your topic.
I have an even amount of articles that say the risk are high and articles that say it is okay
5. Consider the audience for your research.
It's hard to really know the audience because it's an online class, I think statistical research and a general over view of the subject is best for this audience.

D#10, HW#4 -- define the rhetorical situation

HW#4

*What is the research question your are trying to answer?*

-Should age be the determining factor in terming a pregnancy high risk?

*What is your purpose for researching and writing about this issue?*

-The purpose of writing this paper is to understand why doctors would factor age as a risk factor in pregnant women, and to share important information about family planning.

*Who is the audience you are addressing?*

-my class and the teacher

*How do you fit into the context?*

-My beliefs are that women should be able to become pregnant later in life without it being concidered a health risk as long as the mother is healthy;however, research is becoming hard to argue with.

*Where do your answers to these four questions overlap? How might those overlapping questions further focus your research topic?*

- Age and Pregnancy are really my only overlapping subject and both are the main focus of my paper

D#10, HW#3 -- Discuss essay

HW#3

I like the paper in general and think that it is well written and easy to read. I think that this is a good example of WP#3. It It inroduces the topic, provides evidence to support the claim, and it adresses a specific audience. What I would change though is that I would be more specific about conter arguements and have referrenced them.

D#9, HW#8 -- Reflection

HW# 8

I feel much better about this week than I have the last couple. I think it's because it's not midnight and my brain is still functioning. This week I kinda feel like it was a review, but I'm very grateful for it because I needed it and like I said the last couple of weeks were a bit rough. My personal goals are still on where they should be because I'm still here :). I am worried about my course competencies because I don't have grades for my first paper yet, and I'm afraid that I may be off track and not know it.

Blogs I commented on:
Muffin's Thoughts D#9, HW# 3 and #4
Hell if I know D#9, HW#3 and #4

D#9, HW#7 -- Grammar assignment #4

HW#7

I reviewed annotated bibliographies again from the Purdue Owl website. I figured that I can understand and learn more from reviewing this again after I had actually tried one myself. This topic was also the most pertanent to what we were doing in class. I also sudied Organizing Research Resouces on the Quick and Dirty tips web site. I feel that if my research had been more organized then this paper would have been easier to write and I would have had all the tools to make it better. There were a lot of helpful tips especially regarding organizing online research.

ORIGINAL:
Pregnancy Over Age 30 is an article found online through MUSC children’s hospital. This article is anonymous and gives several facts regarding chromosomal abnormalities, and a few on risks of miscarriage and maternal age. This source focuses on chromosome abnormalities such as down syndrome. There is no date given for publication. This article is still useful for my research because it is the best source found specifically focusing on chromosomal abnormalities, which is a huge concern for mothers and doctors in regards to advanced maternal age.

REVISED:
Pregnancy Over Age 30 is an article found online through MUSC children’s hospital. This article is anonymous and gives several facts regarding chromosomal abnormalities, and a few on risks of miscarriage and maternal age. This source focuses on chromosome abnormalities such as down syndrome. There is no date given for publication. This article is still useful for my research because it is the best source found specifically focusing on chromosomal abnormalities, which is a huge concern for mothers and doctors in regards to advanced maternal age. This article compares to others in that it agrees with most, stating that it is a possibility to conceive after 30, but moms should be aware of the risks. I feel that this source is reliable because it comes from a medically oriented web site. Even though this article focuses on risks I feel that it is still written in a very objective manner.

D#9, HW#6 -- reflection of peer review process

HW#6

I only listed a review for April's blog because it was the only rough draft that I could find. Denise and Melissa were the only others that look like they are on track with the class and their blogs skipped from HW#6 to HW#9........? April's comments to my blog made me feel alot better about my rough draft because I still feel like there are some questions unanswered, but I think my outline is pretty good. April also sugested that I list my source before annotating it, which is a very good idea and I agree that this would make my paper more organized and easier for my audience to understand. I cannot review my originality report from turnitin.com because for some reason, that I am still confused about, my attachment was only one paragraph long. So I had to e-mail the correct attachment to the instructor. I still feel like there is alot of editing needed as far as grammatical errors and some content.

D#9, HW#4 -- Decide which citation style to use

HW#4

1.What is your topic? What style guides are specifically associated with your topic?

-My topic is basically how old is too old for mothers to be concieving and having children. MLA, APA, CSE

2. Look at the resources you've collected thus far. What style guides do many of those resources use?

-MLA, and CSE

3. What citation style will your audience be expecting?

-APA is what I thought the class required.....?

4. Where will you be publishing or sharing your work? Do the publishers have their own style guidelines?

-I am publishing on my blog and sharing with the instructor on turnitin.com and I believe his writing guidelines is APA syle.

D#9, HW#3 -- Introduce Secondary Resources

1. Why might this resource be helpful in the development of you argument? What might be important to point out to your audience about the information so that they pay attention to this resource in your argument?

-This research is helpful to the argument because it is scientific research, which makes it reliable and accurate. I think the issues that they factored out of their research is important as well. There were several variables that were factored out of the research, which pointed out another aspect of advanced maternal age. Variable such as smoking, psychosocial issues, alcohol exposure, and stress were more common in older moms.

2. Who is the author? Is the author well known in the field? Will the audience know the author's name? Does the author have very strong credentials related to this topic?

-There are four authors they are all doctors. It is doubtful that the audience would recognize any of the names because the research was done outside of the country. All authors have strong credentials related to the topic.

* According to the cumulative research done by Ali Delpisheh, Ph.D., Loretta Brabin, Ph.D., Eman Attia, M.D., and Bernard Brabin FRCP(C) ...........................*

D#8, HW#9 -- Reflect

HW#9

Once again I'm not very certain if I have followed my course competencies. I've never done a paper like this one before and I'm not sure how good it was. I did accomplish my personal goals though. I did finish all my assignments on time (barely). The work this week did help to show what questions to ask about your research.

Blogs I commented on:
Hell if I know D#8,HW# 4
* There was no other assignment finished by another classmate for #4 to post to.
Hell if I know D#8, HW#9
Hell if I know D#8, HW#5

D#8, HW#7 -- WP#2 rough draft

HW#7, WP#2 rough draft

Summer Bretz
English 102
Section # 24271
10/17/2009
Rough Draft


Should a Pregnancy be Termed “High Risk” Based on a Maternal Age of Over 30?


Research shows that women in their 30’s are more likely to have complications with their pregnancy, delivery, and with their newborns. Many women are waiting until later in life to start their families, but is this trend a high risk for our children and these mothers? Some opinions show that starting a family later in life is beneficial. These moms are generally more stable in all areas of life. Giving their children more patients, stability, and financial benefits. Yet, other opinions are that it is too high of a risk for babies and mothers. Older moms have a higher rate of complications with delivery resulting in cesarean sections instead of natural deliveries. Their babies are also more likely to have chromosomal disorders. Doctors have done several studies on how age affects these outcomes and how to give special care to expectant mothers over the age of 30.
My first source comes from an article titled A Woman’s Age and High Risk Pregnancy, found on babymed.com. This article sates “There is no precise age beyond which a woman becomes more susceptible to pregnancy complications.” The purpose of this article is too help expectant older moms to understand the potential risks and complications that may result in pregnancy due to advanced maternal age; however, says that there is no exact age that distinguishes the title of advanced maternal age. The author of this article is anonymous, but the web site it is found on is used as a medical reference tool for expectant mothers. This article is was found via the internet and was posted in 2005, so there may be more current information. Even though this source is in favor of older mothers conceiving it does not leave out the facts. “A woman under 30 has a miscarriage risk of about 10%, while woman over 20 has a 55% miscarriage risk. The increase in the mother’s age increased the risk for fetal malformations and other chromosomal anomalies such as down syndrome.” (A Woman’s Age and High Risk pregnancy). I think this source is a good middle ground for my paper. It gives good view points to both sides of the spectrum.

A Woman’s Age and High Risk Pregnancy. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://babymed.com/Blog/Blog.aspx?9

Another article related to this topic is Advanced maternal Age - What’s in a name? was found through a women speak blog, but was original posted through the MUSC health. The author is anonymous, but there are statistics from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists within the article. This source also has a positive outlook for older mothers stating that the label of advanced maternal age is outdated and was originally termed because 30 was the age that doctors offered amniocentesis, which is no longer the case. This source states that age related complications do not apply until women are in their 40’s. This author does leave out what those complications may be or any exact statistics. This article was posted this year and is very current, but lacks as much credibility as the others may have.

( 2009 February 16). Advanced Maternal Age - What’s in a name? Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://blogs.musc.edu/womenspeak/post/2009/02/advanced-maternal-age-
Advanced maternal Age- the Mature Gravida is another source found online. This source is a three year study of women 35 years and older. This is another article that would be on the pro side of the argument for older mothers. It shows that the differences between delivering mother’s in their 20’s and 30’s were insignificant. This source is very different than any others in my research. This research is from 1985, but even though it is older I feel that it is still significant to my research question. It helps to make my topic more well rounded by giving another perspective.

Kirz, DS., Dorchester W., Freeman RK. (1985 May 1). Advanced Maternal Age: the mature gravida. PubMed. Retrieved October 2, 2009, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3993714

My next source is an article titled Cancer Risk and Advanced maternal Age. This was the only study I found that approached advanced maternal age from this angle. The author does not give her credentials, but does that she is an “older mommy”. I thought this was very interesting research and it is very new. This article was published in August of 2009. This source is relevant because it brings up a whole new risk for older mothers to worry about before deciding to start their family. This research states “The likelihood of children under 15 having one of the most common forms of childhood cancer (Leukemia, lymphoma, central nervous system tumor, neuroblastoma, Wilms’ tumor, bone cancer, and soft tissue sarcoma) is 1 in 435. The odds, however, seem to be higher in children of older mommies.” This source does leave out any of the other risks or complications due to advanced maternal age. This article focuses specifically to the links between cancer in children under 15 and advanced maternal age.

Raquel. (2009, August 5). Cacer Risk and Advanced Maternal Age. Battling For Health. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from http://battlingforhealth.com/2009/08/cancer-risk-and-advanced-maternal-age/

The next resource I have was found through The American College of Obstetricians and gynecologists. The title is Causes of Fetal Death in Women of Advanced Maternal Age. This source relates the negative side of waiting until your 30’s to start having children. It states “From 1978 to 1995, older women were at a statistically significant increased risk for “unexplained” fetal death.” There are two authors, both of which are MD’s. The intended audience is other doctors or researchers. This resource is very detailed and contains many useful statistics. This article was published in 1997 and I believe it is still accurate and up to date.

Fretts, Ruth C. MD,. Usher, Robert H. MD. (1997). Causes of Fetal Death in Women of Advanced Maternal Age. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 89(1). Retrieved October 13, 2009, from http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/abstract/1997/

Pregnancy Over Age 30 is an article found online through MUSC children’s hospital. This article is anonymous and gives several facts regarding chromosomal abnormalities, and a few on risks of miscarriage and maternal age. This source focuses on chromosome abnormalities such as down syndrome. There is no date given for publication. This article is still useful for my research because it is the best source found specifically focusing on chromosomal abnormalities, which is a huge concern for mothers and doctors in regards to advanced maternal age.

Pregnancy Over age 30. MUSC Children’s Hospital. Retrieved September 16, 2009, from http://www.musckids.com/health_library/hrprgnant/over30/htm

Pregnancy Late in Life: A Hospital-Based Study of Birth Outcomes is an article from the Journal of Women’s Health. This source was written by four Ph.D.’s., it was written in 2008. This research is current and provides a lot of statistics regarding the outcomes of deliveries from women 30 and older regarding low birth weight and preterm deliveries. The format that this article is written in, is a scientific report. This source provides many graphs and charts to make the information easy for the reader to understand. The audience intended for this article would be doctor and other scientists. This source is credible and I think it is one of the best sources that I can use for my article.

Delpisheh, A., Brabin, L., Attia, E., Brabin B. (2008). Pregnancy Late in Life: A hospital-Based Study of Birth Outcomes. Journal of Women’s Health, 17(6), 965-970. Retrieved September 2009, from Academic Premier database.

The final source used for my research is my anatomy text book, Principles of Anatomy and Physiology. This source has two authors and is very reputable. This textbook gives facts regarding down syndrome, which is one of the risk for babies born to mothers that are older. It states “ Older women are more likely to have a down syndrome baby. The chance of having a baby with this syndrome, which is less than one in 3,000 for women under age 30, increases to one in 300 in the 35-39 age group and to one in nine ate age 48.” (1169). This textbook is the 12th edition and the newest one, it was published in 2009. This section is specifically about down syndrome, but the risks of this chromosomal disorder in regards to advanced maternal age is so significant that there is a section highlighted for this purpose.

Tortora, Gerard., Derrickson, Bryan. (2009). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology, 12th Edition. Disorders: Homeostatic Imbalances (pp. 1169). New York: Wiley.

I believe my research is well organized and well rounded. I have three articles that are supportive of older mothers. I also have two that give both sides of the story. I have 3 that give pretty harsh research about serious complications that mothers are putting themselves and their babies at risk for. The accumulative research shows that the age for “advanced maternal age” has gone up to 35 instead of 30 years-old. I think that I have enough research to provide a good paper and sufficient answers to my research question.

D#8, HW#6 -- Make cover sheets

HW#6

Cover Sheet #1:

Date you found the resource: September 16, 2009
Name of the resouce/web page: A woman's age and high risk pregnancy/babymed.com
Journal: N/A
Book: N/A
Web site/blog title: babymed.com
Author: Anonymous
Editor:N/A
Publisher and place of publication: unknown
owner/webmaster: unknown
date of publication/posting on the web: December 2005
Medium of publication: internet blog
Name of library:N/A
Name of database/search engine: google
URL: Http://babymed.com/Blog/Blog.aspx?9
Summary: You can have a healthy pregnancy as an older women, but you should be aware of the risk understand the complications that may arise.
Usefulness: this source gives a positive outlook toward being an older mother, but at the same time is very honest regarding the risks.
Copies: printed copy, notes in my blog
Credibility: The author is anonymous; however, the website is reputable. The article was written to provide information. The audience is for mother's or expectant mother's or women that are thinking about becoming mothers.
Response: This source tells me that pregnancy complications increase with the mother's age. This source tells similar facts as my others, but it also gives women some hope.
Validity: This article is very logical and consistant with other sources and with its research and statistics.

Cover Sheet #2:

Date you found the source: September 20, 2009
Name of the resource/article/book chapter/web page/blog entry: Journal of women's health volume 17, Pregnancy late in life: a hospital-based study of birth outcomes.
Journal: journal of women's health volume 17, number 6, pgs 965-970
Book:N/A
Web site/blog title: academic search premier
Author: Ali Delpisheh, Ph.D., Loretta Brabin, Ph.D., Eman Attia, M.D., And Bernard J. Brabin FRCP(C)
Editor: N/A
Publisher and place of publication: unknown
Owner/Webmaster of the web site: unknown
Date of publication/copyright/ posting to the web:05/14/2008
Medium of publication: journal of women's health via the internet
Name of Library: Mcc (online resources)
Name of database/search engine: Academic Search Premier
URL:??
Summary: hospital-based study stating that pregnancy in older women is associated with adverse birth outcomes.
Usefulness: The statistics and graphs given in the article will be very helpful in explaining the findings of my research.
Copies: Printed copy/notes in my blog
Credibility: The authors are all in the medical proffession and have Ph.D's. The purpose of this article are to inform readers of the increased risk of have a baby after the age of 35. The audience is doctors and parents or couples considering becoming parents.
Response: This research answers my question stating that advanced maternal age is the cause of low birth weights and preterm births. This source is one of the most detailed and well written that I have found in terms of statistics.
Validity: This source is very logical, it states research and statistics given from that research, as well as graphs to help readers understand the information.

D#8, HW#5 -- Evaluate Validity

HW#5

1. Can you easily identify the claim, reasons, and evidence provided in the resource?
Yes, the claim is that maternal age appears to be an independent risk factor for cesarean delivery. The reasons are found in the statistics of their research.

2. Do the evidence and reasons logically support the claim? Why or why not?
Yes, it appears that all variables were taken into account when the study was done. At first the research included demographic characteristics, medical history, pregnancy complications, labor complications, mode of delivery and pregnancy outcome. Then, researchers adjusted the odds ratios and pin poited advanced maternal age.

3. Do you have a similar resource that either argues the same perspective or conducts a similar study?
I have a resource that has a similar study in that advanced maternal age also has an affect on mother's being able to have a vaginal delivery after they have initially had a cesarean section.

4. If so, did the two resources use similar methods for gathering and presenting data for their argument? How are they similar and different?
Both sources did broad research on mother's and their deliveries and then slowly took out all variables other than advanced maternal age. Both resources show that advanced maternal age has an affect on cesarean sections whether they are the first delivery or trying for a second.

D#8, HW#4 -- Track bibliographic information

HW#4


* Who is the author? editor? publisher? owner/webmaster?*
Peipert, Jeffrey F. MD, MPH; Bracken, Michael B. PhD, MPH


*What is the name of the article? journal (page number, volume number)? Web page? Web site? Chapter? book? Blog entry? Blog title?*
Title-Maternal age: An Independent Risk Factor for Cesarean Delivery. Journal-The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists 81:200-5


*When was it published? posted to the Web? when did you find it? (Be as detailed as possible, day/month/year.)*
It was published in 1993. I retrieved it on October 13, 2009

* Where did you find it? What is the name of the library? name of database? name of search engine? URL/Web address? (If a book, what city was it published in?)*
I found it through a google search, it was found in www.journals.lww.com/greenjournal/

D#8, HW#3 -- 4 annotated bibliography entries

HW#3

1. This article was found in a canadian medical journal. I located the article on the academic search premier database found through the MCC internet library. The reasearch in the article examines how advanced maternal age affects still births. It is authoritative because the site I found it on is reputable and the medical journal is respectable. This source is useful because it gives another aspect and more research to my research question.

Benzies, Karen (2008, January 15). Advanced maternal age: Are decisions about the timing of child-bearing a failure to understand the risks? CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal. Retrieved October 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

2. This article is found in a medical journal I located the article on the academic search premier database found through the MCC internet library. The research in this article explains that advanced maternal age is a risk for pregnancy, but the amount of risk has declined. It is authoritative because the site I found it on is reputable and the medical journal is respectable. This source is beneficial because it gives another side to the previous articles claims.

O'Leary, Colleen. Bower, Carol. Knuiman, Matthew. Stanley, Fiona. (2007, November). Changing risks of stillbirth and neonatal mortality associated with maternal age in western Australia 1984-2003. Paediatric & Perinatal epdemiology. Retrieved October 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

3. This article is found in the American journal of reproduction immunology. I located it on the academic search premier databse found through the MCC internet library. The research in this article links miscarriages to advanced maternal age. It is authoritatve because the site I found it on is reputable and the medical journal is respectable. This source could helf my topic a lot because it explains that the more miscarriages you have the more risk you put your body through in the next pregnancy. This is why when you are older your risks are even higher because the chances of miscarrying are high.

Sugirura-Ogasawara, Mayumi. (2008, November). Live birth rate according to advanced maternal age and previous number of recurrent miscarriages. American Journal of Reproduction Immunology. Retrieved October 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.

4. This article is from another health journal, found through the academic search premier database, located on the MCC internet library site. The research in this article gives statistics on advanced maternal age and preterm labor. This source is authoritative because the site I found it on is reputable and the journal is respectable. This source is useful because preterm labor is one of the risks that I haven't looked into enough yet, and is definitely a risk for mothers of advanced maternal age.

McIntyre, Safina. Newburn-Cook, Christine. O'Brien, Breverly. Demianczuk, Nestor. (2009, August). Effect of older maternal age on the risk of spontaneous preterm labor: A population-based study. Health Care for Women International. Retrieved October 13, 2009, from Academic Search Premier database.