Are age cutoffs still used to identify candidates for invasive testing for chromosomal abnormalities?

Our objective was to determine whether women > or = age 35 are more likely to undergo invasive testing after risk adjustment as compared with younger women at similar adjusted risk.

Results of first-trimester combined aneuploidy risk assessment of singleton pregnancies from 2007-2008 were reviewed. For each level of adjusted risk, the rate of invasive testing (CVS or amniocentesis) was compared for those < age 35 and those > or = age 35. Spearman correlation, Fisher's exact test, and chi2 for trend were used for statistical comparison.

For all categories except adjusted risk of 1 in < or = 250, women > or = age 35 were significantly more likely to undergo invasive testing as compared with younger women of similar risk. In women > or = age 35 with low adjusted risk, we observed a trend towards lower rates of invasive testing over time.

The higher rate of invasive testing in those > or = 35 indicates that women are still being categorized based on age, though our data suggest this may be decreasing.