Pregnancy and delivery in women aged 35 years and over

At the Medical Centre Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics in Sibenik there were 26 116 deliveries over the 1970-1991 period, of which 1502 (5.75%) occurred in women aged 35 years and older. Among them 254 (0.97%) were primiparas, 1074 (4.11%) multiparas (two to four deliveries) and 174 (0.6%) grand multiparas (five deliveries and more). The control group consisted of 7920 primiparas, 7920 multiparas (two to four deliveries) and 80 grand multiparas (five deliveries and more) aged 20 to 34 years. There was no difference for occupation between the two groups (P > 0.05), whereas rural women (59.5%), unmarried women (4.2%), women with spontaneous (21.0%) or induced abortions (23.3%) were more common in the study group (P < 0.001). No antenatal visit received 5.9% and 1.8% (P < 0.001) in the study and control groups, respectively; the mean number of antenatal visits was 6.05 +/- 3.20 and 6.26 +/- 3.12, respectively (t = 2.41, P < 0.05). Threatened abortion (16.8%), EPH gestosis (9.5%), cervical cerclage (5.8%), weight gain above 14 kg (9.8%), preterm labour (8.4%), delivery at > or = 42 weeks (3.1%), premature rupture of the membranes (16.4%), meconium-stained amniotic fluid (14.4%), and up to 6-hour duration of labour (73.2%, elective caesarean section (6.8%), emergency caesarean section (5.7%), vacuum extraction (3.8%) and placental lysis or uterine exploration (3.8%) were more common in women > or = 35 years of age (P < 0.05). Higher rates for 7-to-12-hour duration of labour (33.6%) and episiotomy (64.2%) were found in the control group (P < 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)