title: Risk Assessment of Adverse Birth Outcomes in Relation to Maternal Age.
abstract: Although a number of studies have investigated correlations of maternal age with birth outcomes, an extensive assessment using age as a continuous variable is lacking. In the current study, we estimated age-specific risks of adverse birth outcomes in childbearing women.
  
  
  
  National population-based data containing maternal and neonatal information were derived from the Health Promotion Administration, Taiwan. A composite adverse birth outcome was defined as at least anyone of stillbirth, preterm birth, low birth weight, macrosomia, neonatal death, congenital anomaly, and small for gestational age (SGA). Singletons were further analyzed for outcomes of live birth in relation to each year of maternal age. A log-binomial model was used to adjust for possible confounders of maternal and neonatal factors.
  
  
  
  In total, 2,123,751 births between 2001 and 2010 were utilized in the analysis. The risk of a composite adverse birth outcome was significantly higher at extreme maternal ages. In specific, risks of stillbirth, neonatal death, preterm birth, congenital anomaly, and low birth weight were higher at the extremes of maternal age. Furthermore, risk of macrosomia rose proportionally with an increasing maternal age. In contrast, risk of SGA declined proportionally with an increasing maternal age. The log-binomial model showed greater risks at the maternal ages of <26 and > 30 years for a composite adverse birth outcome.
  
  
  
  Infants born to teenagers and women at advanced age possess greater risks for stillbirth, preterm birth, neonatal death, congenital anomaly, and low birth weight. Pregnancies at advanced age carry an additional risk for macrosomia, while teenage pregnancies carry an additional risk for SGA. The data suggest that the optimal maternal ages to minimize adverse birth outcomes are 26∼30 years.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Weng
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Yuh
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Master Program in Global Health and Development, College of Public Health and Nutrition, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan; Health Policy and Care Research Center, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ya-Wen
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Chiu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008423:Maternal Age; D008875:Middle Aged; D066087:Perinatal Death; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D018570:Risk Assessment; D050497:Stillbirth / Q000453:epidemiology; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult