Pregnancy and childbirth over the age of 40 : a prospective cohort study

Menhart, Lara (author), Verdenik, Ivan (author), Mivšek, Ana Polona (author)

The age of women in childbirth is increasing globally. Older pregnant and childbearing women and their children are considered to be at a higher risk of complications. This study aimed to determine whether older women giving birth for the first time had more complications during pregnancy, delivery, and postpartum period. A secondary analysis of national perinatal data from 2013 to 2019 was made. We compared complications in different age groups (20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, and >40 years). Statistically significant differences were estimated using χ2 -test and Fisher test. Older first-time mothers (≥40 years) had a higher incidence of gestational diabetes (20.7%), preeclampsia (4.1%), and placental abnormalities than others. Cesarean section was also more common (21.1%). There were more preterm births (13.8%) and small-for-gestational-age babies (12.6%) in the group of first-time mothers aged over 40. Statistically significant differences were also found in Apgar scores at the first (p=0.00; χ2 =89.560) and fifth minute (p

• Language: English
• Keywords: advanced age, complications, birth, national data analysis, preconception health promotion
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.01.2026
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: Str. 235-244
• Numbering: Vol. 65, iss. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-183590
• UDC: 618.4-053.9
• ISSN on article: 1333-9451
• DOI: 10.20471/acc.2026.65.02.02
• COBISS.SI-ID: 281709315
• Publication date in RUL: 16.06.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta clinica Croatica
• Shortened title: Acta clin. Croat.
• Publisher: Sestre milosrdnice University Hospital, Institute for Clinical Medical Research
• ISSN: 1333-9451
• COBISS.SI-ID: 6272831

Licences

• License: CC BY-ND 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/
• Description: Under the NoDerivatives Creative Commons license one can take a work released under this license and re-distribute it, but it cannot be shared with others in adapted form, and credit must be provided to the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Croatian
• Title: Trudnoća i rađanje nakon 40. godine : prospektivno kohortno istraživanje

Abstract

Žene rađaju djecu u sve kasnijoj dobi. Smatra se da starije trudnice i rodilje te njihova djeca imaju viši rizik od komplikacija. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je utvrditi imaju li žene koje prvi put rađaju u starijoj dobi više komplikacija tijekom trudnoće, porođaja i nakon porođaja. Provedena je sekundarna analiza nacionalnih perinatalnih podataka od 2013. do 2019. godine. Usporedili smo komplikacije u različitim dobnim skupinama (20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39 i >40 godina). Statistički značajne razlike procijenjene su primjenom χ2-testa i Fisherova testa. Žene koje su prvi put postale majke u starijoj dobi (≥40 godina) imale su višu incidenciju gestacijskog dijabetesa (20,7%), preeklampsije (4,1%) i poremećaja placente u odnosu na druge dobne skupine. Carski rez je također bio češći (21,1%). U skupini žena koje su prvi put rodile u dobi iznad 40 godina bilo je više prijevremenih porođaja (13,8%) i novorođenčadi male za gestacijsku dob (12,6%). Statistički značajne razlike nađene su također u rezultatima Apgar u prvoj minuti (p=0,00; χ2=89,560) i petoj minuti (p

• Keywords: višja starost, zapleti, porod, nacionalna analiza podatkov, promocija zdravja pred spočetjem