title: Spontaneous abortion rate and advanced maternal age: consequences for prenatal diagnosis.
abstract: Maternal age related and procedure-related fetal abortion rates were studied in 384 women aged 36 and over scheduled for transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (TA-CVS) at 12-14 weeks of gestation. The pre-TA-CVS abortion rate within 30 days of intake (at 6-10 weeks of gestation) rose from 1.9% at age 35-36 years to 10.9% at 40 years and older. Women entering in the 6th week of gestation had a greater probability of aborting before TA-CVS than women entering after day 48. 26 women aborted spontaneously before TA-CVS, the majority of abortions occurring at 10-12 weeks. TA-CVS was done in 346 women. 11 pregnancies were terminated because of genetic anomalies, and 8 women had spontaneous fetal loss. These findings justify delaying prenatal diagnosis in older pregnant women until 12 weeks of gestation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Erasmus University Medical School, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Cohen-Overbeek
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hop
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: den Ouden
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pijpers
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Jahoda
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wladimiroff
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D015193:Chorionic Villi Sampling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000175:diagnosis; D025063:Chromosome Disorders; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011261:Pregnancy Trimester, First; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D011336:Probability