Evaluation of Fetomaternal Outcome in Advanced Age-group Mothers: A Comparative Prospective Study in a Tertiary Care Maternity Hospital in Kashmir Valley

Abstract

Aim: The study was aimed to investigate the effect of maternal age on fetomaternal outcomes in primigravida singleton women aged above 35 years vs the younger age-group of 22–35 years. Materials and methods: The study was carried out for a period of 18 months in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Government Medical College, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India. The data were prospectively collected on 209 primigravida singleton pregnant women admitted to the hospital and were divided into two groups, one above 35 years and the other between 22 and 35 years. The fetomaternal outcome of each pregnancy was recorded and exported on the data editor of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0. The comparative analysis between the two groups was done using the Student’s independent t-test or Mann–Whitney U test. Results: Comparative analysis between two groups of primigravida singleton pregnant women showed that advanced-age pregnancy was significantly associated with increased incidence of gestational hypertension (38.6 vs 22.4%, p = 0.018), antepartum hemorrhage (APH) (21.1 vs 9.9, p = 0.031), spontaneous abortions (17.5 vs 7.2%, p = 0.027%), and cesarean delivery rate (64.3 vs 46.3, p = 0.042) as compared to younger age-group. Advanced-age pregnancy was associated with adverse fetal outcomes like low birth weight (26.2 vs 13.2%, p = 0.047), preterm delivery (38.1 vs 22.1%, p = 0.029), intrauterine fetal demise (IUFD) (16.7 vs 6.6%, p = 0.047), and intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (33.3 vs 16.21%, p = 0.016) as compared with younger age-group. Conclusion: This study shows a strong association of advanced maternal age with adverse fetomaternal outcomes, and the rising trend of delaying pregnancy makes it imperative to educate women about the risks of advanced-age pregnancy and the need for specialized care during the antenatal period.