Parturiente âgée (podcast)

Advanced maternal age (≥35 years old) is an independent risk factor for preterm delivery, intra-uterine growth retardation, perinatal morbidity/mortality as well as cesarean delivery. Although the relative risk of maternal and perinatal morbidity/mortality increases exponentially with delayed childbearing, the actual incidence of these complications remains relatively low. Older women often take better care of their health and receive excellent medical care during their pregnancy which may mitigate the potential negative consequences associated with their advanced age. Parturients of extremely advanced maternal age (≥45 years old) also have satisfactory outcomes, partly due to the fact that their oocytes come from younger donors. However, the rates of cesarean and maternal morbidities remain elevated compared to the general population of parturients. Therefore, the anaesthesiologist must carefully seek out any antenatal comorbidities and be prepared to provide anaesthesia for emergency cesarean delivery at any time throughout the course of labor, as well as to manage any eventual acute complications arising during the peripartum period.