Abstract

BALESTENA SANCHEZ, Jorge Manuel; PEREDA SERRANO, Yadilis  and  MILAN SOLER, José Raúl. Advanced maternal age as a conducive element in obstetric complications and birth. Rev Ciencias Médicas [online]. 2015, vol.19, n.5, pp.789-802. ISSN 1561-3194.

Introduction: the current increase in age for pregnant women provokes a higher risk for both woman and fetus. Objective: to evaluate the advanced maternal age as a risk factor for obstetric complications and birth. Methods: an observational, retrospective, cross sectional and analytical research was conducted at Abel Santamaria Cuadrado University Hospital in Pinar del Rio between 2012 and 2013. The study group was comprised of the total of pregnant women admitted during this period. The sample included pregnant women with advanced maternal-aged (360 patients the study group) and the control group (720 the control group), and ages between 25 and 30 years; both were chosen by intentional sampling. Qualitative variables were summarized by absolute and relative percentage frequencies. Chi-square tests, Odd Ratio and the confidence interval for OR 95% were used. Results: There was a predominance of pregnant women with previous deliveries (92.8%), normal weight (68.9%), 34.4% of them suffered from any chronic disease, hypertension was the most important; anemia during pregnancy was present in 34.4%, out of them 88.3% delivered at term spontaneously; with a prevalence of cesarean sections (52.2%). Intrapartum morbidity appeared in 13.1%, while in postpartum was 26.7%. There was a strong association between pregnancy and hypertension, oligoamnios and anemia (p <0.001), labor induction (p <0.001) and cesarean section (p <0.001), as well as puerperal morbidity (p <0.001). Conclusions: advanced maternal age is a risk factor to be considered during pregnancy and birth.

Keywords : Cesarean section; Obstetric labor; Pre-eclampsia; Premature obstetric labor.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )