title: Optimization of women's health before conception when pregnancy has been postponed.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In the industrialized world, the mean age at which mothers give birth to their first child has increased. The purpose of this article was to review the available evidence in order to optimize preconception care in women who have postponed childbearing to the later years of the reproductive life cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There is a paucity of evidence and rigorous studies to advise mothers on the potential interventions for optimizing pregnancy outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Evidence-based guidelines for advising women who postponed childbearing are scant, and further research in this important area is urgently needed.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA.
authors: Joachim W
authors: JW
authors: Dudenhausen
authors: Amos
authors: A
authors: Grunebaum
authors: Ursula M
authors: UM
authors: Staudinger
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D006801:Humans; D009035:Mothers; D016742:Preconception Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D013997:Time Factors; D016387:Women's Health / Q000592:standards*