Introduction: Many women increasingly delay pregnancy and childbirth into their later decades of life because of different reasons, such as delay in marriage, educational and professional reasons. Advanced maternal age has been regarded as a risk factor for complications in pregnancy.

Objective: This study is aimed at comparing the obstetric outcomes of pregnancy in women aged 35 years and above.

Methods: Prospective comparative observational study was done over a period of 2 year at the M.M.Medical College & Research Centre, Mullana, Ambala (Haryana) India.

Forty pregnant women of age 35 years and above at any gestational age were taken into the study population irrespective of the parity. Forty control population was pregnant women of age 20-34 years of any parity.

Results: The incidence of pre-gestational diabetes, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia was found to be higher in the study group. 65% patients in the study group had Cesarean section. 25% underwent vaginal delivery. In the control group, 80% delivered vaginally. This study did not find any increased incidence of malpresentation in elderly women.

Conclusion: Pregnancy in older multiparous women seem to have higher rates of obstetric complications and such as hypertension, diabetes. Women should be informed that the risk of pregnancy complications increases with age.

Keywords:  maternal age,gestational diabetes,maternal outcome.

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Kiran Kumar Singal

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