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Childbearing after age 35: its effect on early perinatal outcomes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 July 2008

Judith A. Fortney ,
J. E. Higgins ,
A. Diaz-Infante ,
F. Hefnawi ,
L. G. Lampe  and
I. Batar
Judith A. Fortney
Affiliation:
International Fertility Research Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
J. E. Higgins
Affiliation:
International Fertility Research Program, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
A. Diaz-Infante
Affiliation:
Department of Biology of Reproduction, Universidad Autonoma de San Luis Potosi, Mexico
F. Hefnawi
Affiliation:
International Islamic Center for Population Studies and Research, Cairo, Egypt
L. G. Lampe
Affiliation:
Noi Klinika, Debrecen
I. Batar
Affiliation:
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Medical University, Debrecen, Hungary
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Summary

Births to women aged 35 years and older are compared with births to women aged 20–34 in three hospitals, one each in Mexico, Egypt and Hungary. In the two developing countries, babies born to the older women had lower rates of survival until hospital discharge, and were more likely to have depressed 5-minute Apgar scores. They were not, however, more likely to be of low birth weight. The differences were statistically significant, and remained when several other variables were controlled. The variables controlled were known to be age-related and to influence pregnancy outcome.

Hungary, the only developed country in the analysis, was quite different. Age had a significant influence on the weight of the infant, but not on survival or Apgar score. It seems therefore that when older women are in general good health and there are no concurrent social risk factors, advanced maternal age does not necessarily increase the risk of an adverse pregnancy outcome.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Biosocial Science , Volume 14 , Issue 1 , January 1982 , pp. 69 - 80
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1982

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