Impact of Hypertension on Perinatal Outcome in Mothers Aged 40 or Over

Abstract

Objective: We assessed the impact of maternal age 40 and hypertension on the outcome of pregnancy.

Methods: We accomplished a retrospective study of 138 women at least 40 years old. These women were divided into hypertensive mothers (n = 24, study group) and normotensive controls (n = 114). Of the study group, 8 had chronic hypertension, 11 transient hypertension, and 5 preeclampsia.

Results: There was an increased frequency of premature contractions in hypertensive women (16.7%) as compared to normotensive women (4.4%). The infants' outcomes were similar in both groups, except for two fetuses with growth retardation found in the study group. Parity in the study group was higher, as was the body mass index (26.4 vs. 24.4). No other differences were found between the two “elderly” groups.

Conclusions: We conclude that hypertension has a minimal effect on perinatal outcome in mothers over 40 years.

Key Words:

• Hypertension
• Maternal age
• Perinatal outcome