Pregnancy outcome in elderly primigravidae at University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.

The outcome of pregnancy in 120 elderly primigravid patients (35 years and above) managed at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), Ilorin over a 5 year period has been studied and compared with 140 randomly selected group of young primigravid patients (20-25 years) managed during the same period in the same centre. All the patients were Nigerians. There was no significant difference in the incidence of abortion, mean gestational age, preeclampsia/pregnancy related hypertension, instrumental delivery and mode of onset of labour in the two groups. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in the incidence of foetal malpresentational (elderly 5%, young 1.4% P < 0.001), postpartum haemorrhage (elderly 1.7%, young 0.7%, P < 0.001), caesarean section (elderly 36.7%, young 6.9% P < 0.001), foetal abnormality (elderly 1.7%, young 5.7% P < 0.001), perinatal morbidity (elderly 26.7%, young 12.9% P < 0.05) and perinatal mortality (elderly 4.2%, young 1.4% P < 0.05). The implications of these findings are discussed.