title: Risk of chromosomal abnormalities, with emphasis on live-born offspring of young mothers.
abstract: In a large public urban hospital obstetrics service with > 123,000 deliveries in a 10-year period (1980-89), the frequencies (0.12%) of any type of chromosomal abnormality and of trisomy syndromes were analyzed for maternal age-related risk, by logistic regression. Focusing on very young gravidas, we found that in the study period there were 9,332 births (7.5% of all deliveries) to mothers < or = 16 years old. Estimated risks of chromosomal abnormalities among offspring associated with very young maternal age (9-16 years) were similar to those age-associated risks of mothers 20-29 years old. Risks of chromosomal abnormalities increase with advancing maternal age and are independent of ethnicity.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000649:Amniocentesis; D002648:Child; D002869:Chromosome Aberrations / Q000235:genetics*; D002882:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 13; D002887:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 18; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007621:Karyotyping; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D012307:Risk Factors