Women over 30 at greater risk of complicated pregnancy

According to new research, first time mothers over 30 are at a higher risk of having a stillborn child, small baby or premature birth.

 

The study, conducted by Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, analysed almost 1 million first time mothers in Sweden and Norway between 1990 and 2010. It found that those who conceive for the first time between the ages of 30 and 34 are as likely to have complications as those aged between 35 and 39.

 

The report was published in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology and confirms that "the risk of very preterm birth [after 22 to 31 weeks of pregnancy], moderately preterm birth, small for gestational age, low Apgar score [a newborn health test], stillbirth and neonatal death all increases with advancing maternal age and that risks may increase before the age of 35 years or older, which is the commonly used definition of advanced maternal age"

 

Researchers say this challenges the view among obstetricians that risks start at 35 years old and over. While the risks are small they are significant “as a result of the large number of women who give birth in this age range.”