Unplanned Cesarean Sections in Advanced Maternal Age: A Predictive Model

( Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand . 2024;103(5):927–937. doi:10.1111/aogs.14765) The global trend of women having children at older ages is rising. Between 1986 and 2020, there was an increase in the percentage of births to women over 40 in the Netherlands, from 1.4% to 4.7%. Pregnancy after the age of 40 is labeled as "advanced maternal age" (AMA), while pregnancy over the age of 45 is known as "very advanced maternal age" (VAMA). Numerous women choose to postpone having children because of their career goals and increased socioeconomic standing, and assisted reproductive technologies have allowed them to have children at a later age. Nevertheless, AMA is linked to negative consequences, including increased rates of maternal and perinatal mortality, gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, cesarean sections (CS), postpartum hemorrhage, and neonatal complications. Research indicates that the likelihood of having a CS steadily rises with advancing maternal age, with women who are 40 years old and above have a 2 to 7 times higher chance of having a CS.