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Updated: Oct 12, 2025
High Frequency Ultrasound for the Analysis of Fetal and Placental Development In Vivo
Published on: November 8, 2018
Detection of foetal anomaly in advanced maternal age
T Vijayaletchumi1, A Shuhaila2, M R Abdul Manaf3
1Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar Seremban, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia.
Objective:
The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of foetal anomaly diagnosed during a detailed ultrasonography amongst patients of advanced maternal age (AMA) and to identify the related anomalies in these age groups.
Method:
A retrospective observational study amongst AMA mothers was done in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, a Malaysian teaching hospital. The data over a period of three years (January 2013 - December 2016) obtained from the Maternal Foetal Medicine clinic registry was analysed. AMA mothers with singleton pregnancy presenting for foetal structural anomaly scan was included. They were later subdivided into 2 groups (35-39 years and ≥ 40 years). The logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the association of the chromosomal anomalies and the age groups.
Results:
In all 486 patients were recruited and 84 patients were identified with foetal anomaly (17.3%). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of foetal anomalies or significant association with a specific structural foetal anomaly identified (p>0.05). However, the number of followups for these patients are significantly higher (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
The prevalence of structural foetal anomalies identified in detailed ultrasonography was low in AMA mothers. Hence, referral criteria for detailed anomaly ultrasonography need to be re-looked.
