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Pregnancy
after age 50 poses fetal risks Childbearing beyond maternal age 50 is associated with
significantly increased risks for the fetus, suggest results of a study
published Friday in the journal Obstetrics and Gynecology. Women in the 50+ age range who are thinking of becoming pregnant should
receive "special counseling both before and after conception so that
they become informed of the increased risks involved," Dr. Hamisu M.
Salihu and colleagues from the University of Alabama at Birmingham write. There is a lack of reliable information on pregnant women in their
fifties, Salihu told Reuters Health. He and his colleagues reviewed all
12,066,854 deliveries in the In this, the "first population-based nationwide study, we found
that fetal growth, fetal maturity and survival were significantly
compromised among 50-year old mothers in comparison to their younger
counterparts, including women in their forties," Salihu said. Older mothers were two to three times more likely to have infants that
were growth-impaired, immature or stillborn. "We were surprised with our findings," Salihu commented.
"We had thought that 50-year-old moms would have the same level of
risk as women in their forties." "Pregnancy beyond age 50 may represent a distinct obstetric entity
with a risk pattern that differs from that observed for mature and very
mature mothers," the team writes. While the researchers did not specifically address the use of assisted
reproduction technologies in the study, most of the pregnancies in the 50+
group were artificially induced. "Because of the risks, assisted reproduction technology clients
need to be adequately informed of the possible implications of achieving
pregnancy beyond age 50, so that they are well-equipped to make an
informed decision," Salihu advised. "Our study also highlights the need for a broad-based national
policy discourse to generate guidelines that will eventually govern the
use of assisted reproduction technologies among women in their
fifties," he added. It is also noteworthy that while most women in the 50+ group were
married with at least 12 years of education, "surprisingly,"
only about half of them received adequate prenatal services. SOURCE: Obstetrics & Gynecology, November 2003.
Copyright
© 2002 Global Action on Aging |
