Fertility and reproductive risks in older women in Czechoslovakia

: From nation-wide and health statistics data on the reproduction of women above 35 years of age in the CSR were obtained for the years 1975, 1980 and 1985. The older women accounted for 3.8% of all parturient women in 1985 and their relative ratio rose in the course of ten years by 1%, but only due to the group of 35-39 years-old. The specific fertility of older women declined by 40% mainly due to induced abortions. The abortion indices in 1985 reached in the 35-39 year-old ones 2990 and in the 40-44-year-old ones 7523. The number of neonates delivered by older women did not decline so far due to the present large number of women in this age group. The authors compared the reproductive risks of older age groups with the most fertile group of 20-24 year-old ones in the period of 1984 and 1985. Pregnancy ends by spontaneous miscarriage in the group of 35-39 year-old ones 3.2X more frequently and in the group of 40-44 year old ones 6.6X more frequently. The authors assessed the specific risks of spontaneous abortion with regard to the length of pregnancy. Older women have more frequently surgical deliveries (2.4X) incl. three times more frequent Caesarean sections. Deliveries by the breech position are more frequent (1.4X) and also deliveries of low birth weight infants (1.9X). The perinatal mortality, in particular its antenatal component are 2.5X and 3.5X resp. higher. Infants of older mothers are more frequently discharged with an uncertain prognosis (1.8X) or are damaged (2X).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)