All issues > Volume 28(9); 1985

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1985;28(9):845-851. Published online September 30, 1985.

Perinatal Problems in neonates of Elderly Parities.

E H Cho, Y U Kim, K B Kim

¹Department of Pediatrics,Kwang-ju Christian Hospital, Korea

Abstract

Perinatal problems encountered in infants born of elderly mothers were assessed on 347 neonates born of mothers among 8,573 newborns who had been delivered at Kwang-ju Christian Hospital during 3-year-period starting from July, 1981. As the control group served 379 babies born of mothers below 35 years of age, who had been selected raudomly from 8,226 deliveries at the same place during the same period. The results were summarized as follows: 1)The incidence of delivery in old women was 4% of all deliveries, with primipara rea- ching 12%. 2)The frequency of delivery by cesarean section was 25%, compared to the control group which had 7%, differing significantly in elder parities. Delivery by C-secton was as twice as more frequent in primipara than in multipara. 3) Low birth weight infants «2,500 g body weight) were, with 51 cases (15%), signifa tly more frequently born in elderly parities than in the control group which had 36 cases (9%). 4)Significantly more large babies (>4,000 g body weight), with 38 cases (11%), were born in elderly mothers than in the control group which had 20 cases (5%). 37 large babies out of 38 cases were born of multipara, whereas only one was born of primipara. 5)Toxemia of pregnancy was found more frequently in the elderly group. But the frequencies of premature rupture of membrane did not differ in both groups. 6)Perinatal mortality rate was significantly higher in the elderly group than in the control group. With the increasing number of parity, the perinatal mortality rate in the elderly group became greater.

Keywords :Perinatal problems; Elderly parities