Study of Obstetric Outcome in Primiparous Women in Different Age Groups in our Population

Objectives To evaluate the associations between maternal age and obstetric outcome in primiparous women with emphasis on teenagers and older women. Design A prospective observational study. Setting Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. Materials and methods A prospective observational study was performed over a period of one year. Primiparous women with singleton births from July 2015 to June 2016 (N=500) were divided into five age groups, 1719 years and an additional four 5-year clusters. The reference group consisted of the women aged 2529 years. Groups were compared for obstetric outcome. Primary outcome Obstetric outcome Results The teenager groups had significantly more vaginal births [OR 1.8 (0.9 to 3.2) for 1719 year], fewer caesarean sections [OR 0.6 (0.3 to 1.1)], and instrumental vaginal births [OR 0.6 (0.06 to 5.8] compared with the reference group. The opposite was found among older women reaching a fourfold increased OR for caesarean section. The teenagers showed no increased risk of adverse neonatal outcome but presented an increased risk of preeclampsia and eclampsia [OR 1.66 (1.10 to 2.51) and 1.20 (1.04 to 1.38)]. Women with advancing age (30 years) revealed significantly increased risk of abruption, placenta previa, and postpartum haemorrhage compared with the reference group.