Age matters: Pregnancy in your 40s can increase risk of preterm birth

Researchers have noted a link between preterm birth and the mother’s age at pregnancy.

Women who plan for a baby at the age of 40 and above may increase the risk of delivering preterm births before the 37th week of pregnancy, a study showed. The researchers noted an association between preterm birth and mother’s age and stated that the maternal age at pregnancy has been increasing worldwide and so has the risk of preterm birth. A previous study showed that the presence of certain bacteria in a woman’s vagina and cervix may increase her risk of premature birth.

The research team, led by Florent Fuchs from the CHU Sainte-Justine in Canada, analysed the data from 32 hospitals in Quebec, Canada, from the year 2008 to 2011. The findings of the study, published in the journal Plos, also mentioned that the mothers who are aged between 30-34 years have the lowest risk of prematurity.

The team studied over 1,65,282 pregnant women, who were further divided into five different age groups and compared them based on the maternal characteristics, gestational and obstetric complications, and risk factors related to preterm birth.

Some of the known risk factors identified more commonly in older mothers, aged 40 and above, included placenta previa, gestational diabetes, medical history, use of assisted reproduction technologies, and occurrence of an invasive procedure.

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