Effect of advanced maternal age on pregnancy outcome-A retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Aim: To determine the risks of pregnancy and to study the adverse maternal and fetal outcomes of pregnancy in advanced maternal age. Materials and Methods: This study was a retrospective cohort study. Which was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Government Medical College, Kozhikode. Data were collected from Department Medical Records Library. Data consisted of study group with maternal age above 35 years and control group with age less than 35 years. Cases beyond 28 weeks of gestation, both primiparous and multiparous patients were included. Minimum 262 patients were included in each group. Gestational age, presentation, mode of delivery, indications for caesarean, maternal complications and fetal outcomes were analysed. Statistical analysis was done by SPSS16.0 statistical software. Results: In this study statistically significant difference in maternal complications like incidence of gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension and preterm labour were observed in advanced maternal age women. Conclusion: Increasing incidence of maternal complications both obstetric and medical were observed in the advanced age mothers (AMA). There was a significant increase in preterm labour, increased caesarean delivery, PROM, PPROM, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, VLBW babies, intrauterine death in these elderly mothers. Due to the increase and advances of infertility treatments has made it common for mothers to become pregnant even at late forties.