A Research Of 119 Cases Of Pregnancy Outcomes At Maternal Age 40 And Older

Object:This case-control study was performed to compare the pregnancy outcomes of women aged 40 years and older with those of 20- to 29-year-old women.Materials and Methods:Among women who delivered in the First Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing University of Medical Sciences between January 2013 and December 2014,203 women were 40 years old or older at the time of delivery. Eighty four cases were excluded because of assisted reproduction, history of cesarean delivery and medical diseases. The remaining 119 cases (case group) were retrospectively reviewed. They were compared with 119 20- to 29-year-old mothers who were selected by simple random sampling and their hospital admission charts (control group).Results:Compared to the control group, the incidences of cesarean delivery, placenta previa, preterm rupture of membrane(PROM), abnormal fetal position and neonatology department admission were significantly higher in the older group (P< 0.05). Some complications such as preeclampsia, preterm delivery and perinatal mortality were more common in the older mothers, but the differences were not statistically significant. A comparison of complications with respect to parity showed that preeclampsia occurred more frequently(P< 0.05) in primiparous older women. However, PROM (P=0.002) were more common in multiparous older women.Conclusion:Maternal and neonatal complications increased in women aged 40 years and above, but neonatal outcomes were similar to those in the younger age group except neonatology department admission.