Greater childbirth risk for women in their 40s

OLDER mothers are significantly more likely to suffer severe complications during childbirth, new research has found.

Women who consider delaying having children until their 40s should be alerted to the findings, the authors said.

The study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, examined rates of potentially life-threatening complications of giving birth such as kidney failure, obstetric shock, and amniotic fluid embolism.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia, Canada, found the risk increases in older mothers.

They examined data on more than 800,000 singleton births to women living in Washington State in the US between 2003 and 2013.

Compared with younger mothers, the risk of severe problems was 0.9% higher for mothers 40 to 44 years, 1.6% higher for mothers 45 to 49 years and 6.4% for mothers over 50.

The authors wrote: “These results should improve counselling to women who contemplate delaying childbirth until their forties and provide useful information to their health care providers. As maternal age continues to increase, the rate of severe maternal morbidity is likely to increase in the future.”

Commenting on the study, Jacque Gerrard, director for England at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said: “The UK is seeing a rise in births to women in their late 30s and 40s so this research is welcome and has some relevance to maternity services here in the UK.

“The RCM has been highlighting this rise and stressing the need for our maternity services to be able to ensure that this group of women receive the care they need.

“Older mothers, particularly those into their late 30s and 40s, can have more complications in pregnancy, as this research suggests. They may also need more support and advice form midwives and healthcare professionals in our maternity services.

“This is why it is so critical that there are enough midwives to do this, yet England is 3,500 midwives short of the numbers needed, and this is a shortage that has now persisted for over a decade.

“There is no doubt that the risk of complications in pregnancy does in general increase for older women. We would encourage women who are planning to have a baby later in life, or women who are thinking of delaying pregnancy until later, to be aware of the research so that they can make an informed decision about their pregnancy.

“Ultimately it is a woman’s choice about when she has a baby and midwives will always support women in their choice and be available to discuss any issues related to pregnancy and birth.”