(Press-News.org) Younger mothers are at a higher risk of preterm birth while older mothers are more likely to have a caesarean section, suggests a new study published today (12 June) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The study, conducted over a 12-year period (2000-2011) in Ireland, examined the delivery outcomes of 36,916 first-time mothers at varying maternal ages.
The pregnant women were subdivided into five age groups, 3.3% at 17 years or younger (17-), 7.2% at 18-19 years, 77.9% at 20-34 years, 9.9% at 35-39 years and 1.7% at 40 years or older (40+). However, researchers focused on the outcomes in the groups of women at the extremes of maternal age, 17- and 40+.
The findings showed an increase in rates of caesarean section with increasing maternal age. Compared to the comparison group (20-34 years), women in the 17- group were the least likely to have a caesarean section (10.7%) while women in the 40+ group were the most likely, with a three-fold increase risk of caesarean section (54.4%).
Furthermore, women in the 17- group were at a much higher risk for preterm birth (9.8% vs 5.9%), and babies born to mothers in the 40+ group were more likely to require neonatal admission (23.5% vs 16.8%) and be born with congenital anomaly, when compared to their comparison group counterparts (20-34 years).
The authors noted that younger mothers were more likely to be underweight and smoke during pregnancy, while older mothers were at an increased risk of being obese or having underlying medical disorders, such as hypertension or diabetes.
Professor Deirdre Murphy, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Dublin and co-author of the paper, said:
"The findings of this study are consistent with previous literature, highlighting the fact that maternal age continues to be an important risk factor for adverse outcomes in pregnancy.
"There was a marked difference in the rate of caesarean sections, increasing with maternal age, and more research is needed to explore the care provided to younger mothers and whether their enhanced ability to deliver naturally may suggest a reduction is possible for overall caesarean section rates.
"Most healthcare professionals agree that management of a woman's first birth is likely to have the biggest impact on future pregnancy outcomes so maternal age is an important risk factor to be considered when planning care for first-time mothers, particularly those at the extremes of maternal age."
John Thorp, BJOG Deputy-Editor-in-Chief added:
"Through eliminating any confounding effects of previous pregnancies, the findings of this study are a more accurate representation of delivery outcomes in first-time mothers across all age groups.
"The significant increase in the rate of caesarean sections in the UK over the past few decades is a problem addressed by the authors with possible solutions to be considered based on the outcomes of the women identified at lowest risk.
"The findings suggest that other socio-demographic factors, associated with age, play an important role in delivery outcomes and obstetricians need to identify age as a significant risk factor so that care for pregnant women can be planned accordingly."
### END
Younger mothers and older mothers are at higher risk of adverse delivery outcomes
2013-06-12
ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:
New research links body clocks to osteoarthritis
2013-06-12
Scheduled exercise, regular meals and the periodic warming and cooling of joints could be used to relieve the symptoms of osteoarthritis according to scientists at The University of Manchester. Their research may also help explain why older people are more prone to developing this common joint disorder.
The team in the Faculty of Life Sciences has established for the first time that cartilage cells have a functioning body clock that switches on and off genes controlling tissue function. The rhythm of the cartilage clock perhaps goes some way to explain why osteoarthritis ...
X-rays reveal new picture of 'dinobird' plumage patterns
2013-06-12
The findings came from X-ray experiments by a team from The University of Manchester, working with colleagues at the US Department of Energy's (DOE) SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The scientists were able to find chemical traces of the original 'dinobird' and dilute traces of plumage pigments in the 150 million-year-old fossil.
"This is a big leap forward in our understanding of the evolution of plumage and also the preservation of feathers," said Dr Phil Manning, a palaeontologist at The University of Manchester and lead author of the report in the June 13 issue ...
Experimental vaccine shows promise against TB meningitis
2013-06-12
A team of Johns Hopkins researchers working with animals has developed a vaccine that prevents the virulent TB bacterium from invading the brain and causing the highly lethal condition TB meningitis, a disease that disproportionately occurs in TB-infected children and in adults with compromised immune system.
A report on the federally funded research is published online June 11 in the journal PLOS ONE.
TB brain infections often cause serious brain damage and death even when recognized and treated promptly, researchers say. This is so because many drugs currently used ...
Perfect pitch may not be absolute after all
2013-06-12
VIDEO:
University of Chicago researchers found that people's concept of what perfect pitch is can be changed, a discovery that underscores the malleability of the brain.
Click here for more information.
People who think they have perfect pitch may not be as in tune as they think, according to a new University of Chicago study in which people failed to notice a gradual change in pitch while listening to music.
When tested afterward, people with perfect, or absolute pitch, thought ...
Polymer structures serve as 'nanoreactors' for nanocrystals with uniform sizes, shapes
2013-06-12
Using star-shaped block co-polymer structures as tiny reaction vessels, researchers have developed an improved technique for producing nanocrystals with consistent sizes, compositions and architectures – including metallic, ferroelectric, magnetic, semiconductor and luminescent nanocrystals. The technique relies on the length of polymer molecules and the ratio of two solvents to control the size and uniformity of colloidal nanocrystals.
The technique could facilitate the use of nanoparticles for optical, electrical, optoelectronic, magnetic, catalysis and other applications ...
1 in 6 women at fracture clinics report domestic violence
2013-06-12
HAMILTON, ON (June 11, 2013) -- One in six women arriving at orthopedic fracture clinics have been victims of physical, emotional, or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner within the past year, and one in 50 arrive as a direct result of intimate partner violence (IPV), according to the largest multinational study of its kind to date, led by McMaster University researchers.
The report has been published on Online First by The Lancet.
"The unexpectedly high rate of IPV in orthopedics suggests that injury clinics are the ideal location for identification ...
Scientists identify thousands of plant genes activated by ethylene gas
2013-06-12
LA JOLLA — It's common wisdom that one rotten apple in a barrel spoils all the other apples, and that an apple ripens a green banana if they are put together in a paper bag. Ways to ripen, or spoil, fruit have been known for thousands of years—as the Bible can attest—but now the genes underlying these phenomena of nature have been revealed.
In the online journal eLIFE, a large international group of scientists, led by investigators at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, have traced the thousands of genes in a plant that are activated once ethylene, a gas that ...
New tasks become as simple as waving a hand with brain-computer interfaces
2013-06-12
Small electrodes placed on or inside the brain allow patients to interact with computers or control robotic limbs simply by thinking about how to execute those actions. This technology could improve communication and daily life for a person who is paralyzed or has lost the ability to speak from a stroke or neurodegenerative disease.
Now, University of Washington researchers have demonstrated that when humans use this technology – called a brain-computer interface – the brain behaves much like it does when completing simple motor skills such as kicking a ball, typing or ...
Flu vaccines aimed at younger populations could break annual transmission cycle
2013-06-12
CORVALLIS, Ore. – The huge value of vaccinating more children and young adults for influenza is being seriously underestimated, experts say in a new report, while conventional wisdom and historic vaccine programs have concentrated on the elderly and those at higher risk of death and serious complications.
A computer modeling analysis was just published in the journal Vaccine, in work supported by the National Institutes of Health. The study suggests that children in school and young adults at work do the vast majority of flu transmission. Programs that effectively increase ...
Fourmile and Silver Fires in Arizona and New Mexico
2013-06-12
The Fourmile fire located 20 miles northeast of Morenci, Arizona is basically a grass fire. Currently it is over 5000 acres in size and is not contained at all. Because of the hot, dry conditions, the potential for growth of this fire is high. Officials are estimating that containment of this fire will be on or about June 15, 2013.
Silver Fire in New Mexico was started on June 7 by a lightning strike about 7 miles southwest of Kingston, NM. Currently this fire is 6,700 acres in size and its potential for growth is high. Firefighters are challenged by extremely rough terrain, ...