Women who wait until they are in late 30s before trying to get pregnant are causing unnecessary burden to their babies who would later take care of geriatric parents, a Perth obstetric physician said.

Barry Walters of King Edward Memorial Hospital in Perth, said women who planned to get pregnant after that age were ''selfish and self-centered.''

Dr. Walters advised women to get pregnant by the age of 37, have medical check-up, and achieve healthy weight before getting pregnant.

Dr. Walters said he has seen many older, pregnant women and babies with medical problems. ''I see many, many women with diabetes, high blood pressure and all sorts of medical problems and, of course, the older the woman is, the more likely she's got medical problems.

''The medical side is only part of it. It is selfish and self-centered of older women to have babies because they are not just babies - they are babies for a little while and they become people.

''They are starting out in life, having a family, working, getting mortgages and have to deal with geriatric parents. It's just not fair,'' he said.

Dr. Walters further observed older and obese women with medical problems who had difficult pregnancy mean hard work for medical staff.

He also criticized intro-vitro fertilisation practitioners for enabling older women to get pregnant, said the news report.

Fairfax Media said the hospital has issued statement saying Dr. Walters' opinion is merely his own, and not the hospital's.