title: Obstetric and prenatal outcome in menopausal women: a 12-year clinical study.
abstract: The obstetric and prenatal outcome in post-menopausal women of advanced age in an oocyte donation programme is described in this paper, the oldest being aged 63 years. A total of 2729 candidates were visited up to November 2000. Only 1150 (42%) were accepted, with 1579 being rejected during a rigorous selection procedure. Several excluding clinical conditions were noted, including hypertension of varying severity, cardiovascular disease, smoking, dysfunctions of the hepatic, thyroid and renal systems and diabetes. Overall, 489 (38%) clinical pregnancies were established in 1288 recipient cycles, with 390 healthy babies delivered out of 363 pregnancies (28%), while 126 (25.7%) were lost. In all, 327 (90%) of the pregnancies reached full term, with 36 involving premature deliveries, 24 involving multiple gestation, 21 sets of twins, three sets of triplets (0.9%) and no quadruplets. Antenatal complications arising in 86 patients (23.6% of deliveries) included 33 preterm deliveries, 43 cases of gestational hypertension, four cases of pre-eclampsia, three cases of gestational diabetes and three of abruptio placentae. A total of 272 (75%) of all deliveries were by Caesarean section. Neonatal complications included two cases of growth retardation. There were no neonatal or maternal deaths. The 63-year-old woman reached full term pregnancy in July 1994, with delivery by Caesarean section of a boy in good health. Proper screening for risks has enabled this treatment to be given to a preselected group of patients.
authors.affiliation: RAPRUI Day Hospital (International Associated Research Institute for Human Reproduction), Via Properzio 6, 00192 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Antinori
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Gholami
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Versaci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cerusico
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dani
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Antinori
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Panci
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nauman
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous; D000328:Adult; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008423:Maternal Age; D008593:Menopause; D008875:Middle Aged; D018587:Oocyte Donation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone