Effect of advanced maternal age on birth defects and postnatal complications of neonates

Abstract

To investigate the effect of advanced maternal age on birth defects and postnatal complications of neonates. Among the 1 109 neonates who were born at The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province between January 2014 and December 2015, 536 neonates whose mothers were aged ≥35 years were enrolled as advanced age group and 573 neonates whose mothers were aged <35 years were enrolled as appropriate-age group. The incidences of the comorbidities in pregnancy, fetal intrauterine distress, neonatal birth defects, and postnatal complications were compared between the two groups. A univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the effect of advanced maternal age on neonatal comorbidities during perinatal period. Compared with the appropriate-age group, the advanced age group had significantly higher rate of caesarean section and incidence rates of multiple birth, gestational diabetes, pregnancy-induced hypertension, in vitro fertilization, and fetal intrauterine distress (P<0.01). The neonates in the advanced age group had a significantly higher incidence rate of cleft lip and palate and a significantly lower rate of skeletal dysplasia than in the appropriate-age group (P<0.05). Advanced maternal age was the risk factor for fetal intrauterine distress (OR=2.27, 95%CI: 1.33-3.88, P=0.003), neonatal resuscitation (OR=1.66, 95%CI: 1.19-2.31, P=0.003), and intracranial hemorrhage (OR=2.70, 95%CI: 1.21-6.04, P=0.02). The women of maternal advanced age have higher incidence rates of pregnancy comorbidities than those of appropriate age, and the neonates born to the mothers of advanced maternal age have a higher incidence rate of cleft lip and palate. Advanced maternal age may increase the risks of fetal intrauterine distress, neonatal resuscitation, and intracranial hemorrhage.