Obstetric hazards among elderly primigravidae

Three hundred and seventeen cases of elderly primigravidae were studied from January 1987 to December 1990 at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal General Hospital, Bombay. The aim was to study the complications of pregnancy, complications of labour, perinatal mortality and maternal mortality in an urban, socio-economic backward class of elderly primigravidae and to compare them with younger primigravidae in the same population. The study covered all cases, either booked for hospital confinement or admitted as an emergency case without any prior antenatal care. The incidence of breech was found to be higher in elderly primiparae as compared to younger primiparae. Duration of labour as also operative intervention was found to be more in elderly primigravidae. There was no maternal mortality in this study. The most important feature in relation to infants was the high perinatal mortality in the study group.