Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2026
14:43
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
Pregnancy at 40 and over: a case-control study in a developing country
D S Weerasekera1, Surani G Udugama
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka. deepalsenaka@yahoo.co.uk
Summary
Pregnancy after 40 is linked to higher rates of gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, and cesarean sections compared to younger women. However, risks for premature delivery, low birth weight, and congenital anomalies remain similar.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Reproductive Health
Background:
- Advanced maternal age (40 years and over) is increasingly common.
- Pregnancy outcomes in older women require careful evaluation compared to younger cohorts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare obstetric and neonatal outcomes in pregnancies at or after 40 years of age versus those under 40.
- To identify specific risks associated with advanced maternal age pregnancies.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study comparing 150 women aged 40+ with 150 women under 40.
- Data collected at Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Sri Lanka, between September 2001 and December 2002.
- Outcomes analyzed included gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, delivery mode, birth weight, and neonatal indicators.
Main Results:
- Higher incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (14.6% vs. 6.6%) and pregnancy-induced hypertension (27.3% vs. 12%) in women aged 40+.
- Increased rates of both emergency and elective cesarean sections in the older group (48.7% vs. 20% and 21.3% vs. 14.7%).
- No significant differences observed in premature deliveries, birth weight, 5-minute Apgar scores, or congenital anomaly rates.
Conclusions:
- Pregnancy at advanced maternal age is associated with increased risks of specific maternal complications and cesarean delivery.
- Neonatal outcomes such as birth weight and Apgar scores are not significantly affected by advanced maternal age in this cohort.
- While certain risks are elevated, many key neonatal outcomes remain comparable, suggesting careful management can mitigate some advanced maternal age risks.
Related Concept Videos
02:07Oogenesis
In human women, oogenesis produces one mature egg cell or ovum for every precursor cell that enters meiosis. This process differs in two unique ways from the equivalent procedure of spermatogenesis in males. First, meiotic divisions during oogenesis are asymmetric, meaning that a large oocyte (containing most of the cytoplasm) and minor polar body are produced as a result of meiosis I, and again following meiosis II. Since only oocytes will go on to form embryos if fertilized, this unequal...
02:20Longitudinal Research
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
01:22Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
01:23Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Biopharmaceutical studies constitute a vital field aiming to enhance drug delivery methods and refine therapeutic approaches, drawing upon diverse interdisciplinary knowledge. In research methodologies, the choice between controlled and non-controlled studies significantly influences the study's reliability and accuracy.
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
01:20Study Designs in Epidemiology
Epidemiological study designs are fundamental tools for investigating the distribution, determinants, and control of health conditions in populations. They help researchers understand the relationships between exposures and outcomes, and they broadly fall into two categories: "observational" and "experimental" studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control studies.
01:28Toxoplasmosis
Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...