Effect of Very Advanced Maternal Age on Pregnant Women and Fetuses

To compare the difference in the effect on pregnant women and fetuses between very advanced maternal age (age of or over 45 years) and other ages (age below 45 years).

A descriptive study.

Changyi People's Hospital, China, from June 2017 and September 2020.

Four-hundred singleton pregnancies were selected. One hundred and three pregnant women at age of or over 45 years (Group A) and 297 pregnant women at age below 45 years (Group B) were grouped by age. Serum total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), incidence of pregnancy complications and fetal outcomes were compared.

Group A had higher TC and HDL-C than Group B at 12-week, 32-week pregnancy and 3 days after delivery (all p <0.001); Group A had higher TG than Group B at 12-week, 32-week pregnancy and 3 days after delivery (p=0.003, p <0.001 and p <0.001), respectively. Group A had higher incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), pregnancy complicated with leiomyoma, gestational hypertension, placenta previa, placental abruption, anemia and postpartum hemorrhage than Group B (all p <0.001). Group A had higher incidence of fetal distress and preterm birth than Group B (both p <0.001). The difference in fetal weight and Apgar score of 5-min infants compared between the two groups was significant (both p<0.001).

The incidence of gestational complications and adverse perinatal outcomes may be increased in very advanced maternal age singleton pregnant women aged over 45 years. Key Words: Very advanced maternal age, Pregnant women, Pregnancy, Fetus, Complications.