The rise in obstetric intervention with maternal age: a continuous phenomenon

Abstract

Population-based data from the Cardiff Births Survey has been used to examine the trends in obstetric intervention with increasing maternal age. As maternal age increases, spontaneous vaginal delivery rates fall, instrumental delivery rates, elective and emergency caesarean section, induction of labour and epidural rates rise. Induction of labour and epidural in labour are both associated with decreased spontaneous vaginal delivery rates and an increase in instrumental delivery rates and emergency caesarean section.