[Reproductive risk of women over 40 years old].
BACKGROUND
Pregnancy at extreme ages is a risk factor for maternal, perinatal and infantile death.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the obstetric risk of women over 40 years old.


METHODS
The risk of maternal, late fetal, neonatal and infantile deaths and the risk of low birth weight was assessed in women over 40 years old and compared to the risk of women aged 20-34 years. Data was obtained from the 1999 Annual Report of the National Statistics Institute and the odds ratios (OR) with a 95% confidence interval were calculated.


RESULTS
Women over 40 years had a higher risk of maternal death (OR 7.13, 3.31-14.97), late fetal death (OR 2.19, 1.69-2.85), neonatal death (OR 1.8, 1.4-2.32), infantile death (OR 1.8, 1.49-2.18) and low birth weight (OR 1.72, 1.58-1.88).


CONCLUSIONS
The higher reproductive risk of women over 40 years is confirmed. Better birth control programs at this age will reduce this risk.
Donoso
Enrique
E
Departamento de Obstetricia y Ginecología, Departamento de Salud Pública, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. edonosocia@hotmail.com
Villarroel
Luis
L
D000328:Adult; D002423:Cause of Death; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D008428:Maternal Mortality; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000401:mortality; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D012307:Risk Factors