Vaginal Delivery in a Cohort of Pregnant Women Aged 40 or Older

Aim: Delivering after the age of 40 years can be challenging. Worldwide, compared to previous decade, the number of deliveries in this particular category of age is increasing constantly. The goal of the present study was to analyze the outcome of vaginal delivery in this category of patients. Materials and methods: A retrospective study was performed in The First Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cluj-Napoca, Romania between 1st of January 2012 and 31st of December 2012. All deliveries that took place in the above mentioned hospital in the mentioned period were included in the study. Results: A significant increased number of Cesarean sections were observed in the group of older patients. The duration of the active phase was shorter in ≥40 years old primiparas than in <40 years old primiparas and similar to younger patient group for parity ≥2. The Apgar score and the fetal weight were not influenced by the maternal age. Regardless of parity, the frequency of the episiotomy practice was similar in women ≥40 years old and <40 years old. Conclusion: Vaginal delivery is still a valid option for women 40 or older.