Complications and Outcome of Pregnancy in Extremes of Reproductive Age Groups: Experience at Tertiary Care Center

Background: Pregnant women of extremes of reproductive age group at both ends (< 20 years and > 35 years age) comprise high risk groups. Pregnant women up to 35 years get many complications like diabetes, spontaneous abortion, hypertensive disorders, autosomal trisomies, increased newborn and maternal morbidity and mortality and cesarean sections. Pregnancies of < 18 years age group is complicated by anemia, preterm labor, urinary tract infections, pre-eclampsia, and a high rate of cesarean sections, preterm birth, low birth weight and growth retardation of the newborns. Objectives: Incidence of various antenatal complications, pregnancy outcome and mode of delivery in < 20 years age group and > 35 year age group and to compare both the groups. Methods: This retrospective study was done at department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Medical University, Lucknow, from January 2010 to December 2010. Data were collected from institutional logbook and various complications and outcome were studied. Statistical analyses were carried out by using the statistical package for SPSS-15. Results: Present study showed that the definite increased risk of preeclampsia, eclampsia, obstetric cholestasis, twin gestation, anemia, preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, intrauterine fetal growth restriction, and intrauterine fetal death in adolescent pregnancies and increased risk of eclampsia, diabetes, and cesarean sections in advanced age pregnancies. Conclusions: Both adolescent and advanced age groups are high risk pregnancy groups so for best reproductive outcome, pregnancies at these ages should be very carefully supervised with both good maternal and fetal surveillance to achieve best maternal and fetal results.