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MATERIAL AGE AND FETAL LOSS: POPULATION-BASED
REGISTER LINKAGE STUDY
The risk factor of a spontaneous abortion is higher in women aged 45 years or more (74.7%) than in women aged 20-24 (8.9%). The risk if fetal loss increases in women over 30, and more than half of all pregnancies end in spontaneous abortion, ectopic pregnancy, or stillbirth at age 42. The results are seen regardless of the number of previous miscarriages, parity, or calendar period. The prospective register linkage study was conducted on 634,272 women in Denmark with a reproductive outcome during 1978 to 1992. There were 1,221,546 pregnancy outcomes. Of the total pregnancies, 126,676 ended in fetal loss. The risk of fetal loss depending on maternal age at conception followed a J-shaped curve, with a steep rise after 35 years of age. The risk of spontaneous abortion varied from a minimum of 8.7% by age 48 or older. The incidence of ectopic pregnancy showed a steady increase with increasing maternal age at conception, from 1.4% of all pregnancies at age 21 to 5.9% of pregnancies in women aged 44 or older. The tendency to postpone pregnancy increases overall incidents of fetal loss and perhaps health care costs.
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