Is forty the new thirty? Population based study of advanced maternal age

To compare perinatal outcomes in different advanced maternal age groups.

We used a population-based data set to compare perinatal outcomes in three maternal age groups: 30-34.9, 35-39.9, and in women over 40 years.

Over a 10-year period there were 23,422 (25.2%) births in the 35-39.9 years group, 3987 (4.3%) in the over 40 years group, and 65,492 births (70.5%) in our reference group (30-34.9 years). A direct significant relationship was found between maternal age and BMI and between pregnancy complications such as diabetes and hypertensive disorders, whereas an inverse relationship was found between older age and nuliparity and spontaneous conceptions. Also, older mothers had a higher incidence of both types of cesareans, and more early as well as late preterm births. Perinatal mortality was similar in all groups.

Advanced maternal age is associated with higher, gradually increasing, incidence, of adverse perinatal outcomes.