PREGNANCY AT 40 YEARS AND OVER

Abstract

The pregnancies of women of 40 years and over attending the Royal Women's Hospital, Brisbane, in 1968 to 1970 were reviewed and compared with those of all patients at the hospital. There was a high rate of grand multiparity and a cæsarean section rate of 18% in the older patients. Their babies were a little heavier than normal and the perinatal mortality rate was nearly twice that for the hospital. These women attended regularly for antenatal and postnatal care. It is suggested that more emphasis be placed on family planning for older patients.