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The impact of advanced maternal age on the outcome of twin pregnancies

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To assess the effect of advanced maternal age on the obstetrics and neonatal outcome of twin pregnancies.

Methods

A retrospective study of 716 dichorionic–diamniotic twin pregnancies delivered at our institute. The study population was divided into two groups: women aged 35–39 years (group A, n = 142) and women aged ≥ 40 years (Group B, n = 48). The control group consisted of women younger than 35 years (group C, n = 516).

Results

The rate of cesarean section (CS) was significantly higher among women older than 35 years compared to the control group (A 76.8% and B 87.5% vs C 65.7%, P = 0.001). Women older than 35 years were also at higher risk for developing hypertensive disorders (A 7.0%, B 14.6%, vs C 5.4%, P = 0.04). On multivariate regression analysis, maternal age was found to be independently associated with a higher rate of CS (odds ratio vs reference group C: group A 1.6, 95% CI 1.08–2.6; group B 3.2, 95% CI 1.3–7.8). There was no difference between the groups in the rate of neonatal complications.

Conclusion

Women with twin pregnancy, older than 35 years, have a significantly higher rate of CS and hypertensive disorder. This rate increases with maternal age, with no increased rate of neonatal complications.

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Funding

This study was not funded.

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

OG: manuscript writing and project development. YM: data analysis and data collection. JB: data collection and project development. GB: project development and manuscript editing.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ohad Gluck.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

For this type of study, formal consent is not required.

Human and animal rights statement

This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Gluck, O., Mizrachi, Y., Bar, J. et al. The impact of advanced maternal age on the outcome of twin pregnancies. Arch Gynecol Obstet 297, 891–895 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4656-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-018-4656-1

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