Pregnancy at late premenopausal age: Outcome of pregnancies at 45 years and older in Flanders, Belgium

AbstractTo describe the obstetric outcome in women at ages ≥ 45. A retrospective cohort study on a large existing database covering all deliveries in the Flanders region, Belgium, was performed, comparing obstetric outcomes at age 25, 35, 40 and 45 or older, for the period 2005–2010. In the period studied, 421 women gave birth at maternal age ≥ 45 vs 3,405, 15,206, 22,586 at ages 40, 35 and 25, respectively. With advancing maternal age, a significant linear increase for low birth weight (< 2,500 g) and preterm delivery (< 37, < 35 weeks and < 29 weeks), maternal hypertension and diabetes, both primary and secondary caesarean section, was noted. Between ages 40 and ≥ 45, both fetal and early neonatal death demonstrated a significant rise from 4.9/1,000 and 1.8/1,000 to 26/1,000 and 9.5/1,000, respectively. With advancing maternal age, a gradual but not statistically significant decline in the proportion of male fetuses was noted, from 51.6% at 25, to 47.2% in the oldest group. Multivariate analysis confirm...