Do early adolescent and advanced maternal age pregnancies affect term birthweight?

INTRODUCTION: Although it is known that there is a relationship between birthweight and maternal age, adverse pregnancy outcomes are reported more frequently in adolescent pregnancies (AP) and advanced maternal age pregnancies (AMA). We aimed to compare the mean maternal age at delivery for the last 5 years in our hospital. And also we evaluated birthweights and adverse pregnancy outcomes in full-term births for maternal age categories.
METHODS: We evaluated 63,432 singleton birth between 2013 and 2018. In a subgroup, 21.575 full-term births were analyzed according to the birthweight, type of delivery, maternal age category (including early AP and AMA), and over the years. The Student t-test was used to evaluate continue values and the categorical values were evaluated using the Chi-Square Test. A P<.05 value was taken as significant.
RESULTS: The mean maternal age was 26 years and no significant change was found according to years. Stillbirth rates were determined as significantly higher in AMA (2.6%; p <0.001). In the early AP, the rate of low birthweight infants was highest (16%). The mean birthweight was found to be the highest in the AMA directly proportional to the maternal age (r = 0.13, p <0.001). The average birthweight was 3167 ± 339 g and when the subgroups were considered, it was 3167 ± 339 g in early AP and 3336 ± 459 g in the advanced maternal age group of 40 years and older.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Birthweights increases in direct proportion to maternal age, although it does not make a clinically significant difference.