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Assessment of Birth and Perinatal Outcomes in Pregnant Women Aged 50 and Over
Gülcan Okutucu, Dilek ŞahinAnkara Bilkent City Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Perinatology ClinicINTRODUCTION: This study aimed to evaluate birth and perinatal outcomes in pregnant women aged 50 years and older, a rarely studied and high-risk demographic group.
METHODS: This retrospective study included 24 pregnancies in women aged ≥50 who delivered at Ankara Bilkent City Hospital between January 2019 and March 2025. Data were collected on maternal demographics, obstetric history, pregnancy complications, delivery characteristics, and neonatal outcomes.
RESULTS: Out of 44,136 total births, 24 (0.054%) occurred in women aged 50 or older. The median maternal age was 50.5 years. Chronic comorbidities were present in 41.7%, with hypothyroidism, type 2 diabetes, and asthma being most common. Half of the cohort experienced pregnancy-related complications, primarily gestational diabetes and hypertension (16.6% each). Cesarean delivery was performed in 79.2% of cases. Preterm birth and low birth weight occurred in 37.5% of deliveries. Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission was required in 58.3% of newborns, with a median stay of 2 days. Trisomy 21 was diagnosed prenatally in two cases through amniocentesis. Most pregnancies were spontaneous (75%); 25% followed assisted reproductive techniques, including conventional IVF (12.5%), frozen embryo transfer (8.3%), and oocyte donation (4.2%).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Pregnancies in women aged 50 years and older are associated with high rates of maternal and neonatal complications, including preterm birth, low birth weight, and NICU admission. The findings highlight the need for individualized prenatal care, comprehensive counseling, and close perinatal monitoring to mitigate risks in this growing but vulnerable population.
Manuscript Language: English