TY - JOUR

T1 - Maternal age and child morbidity

T2 - A Danish national cohort study

AU - Hviid, Malene Meisner

AU - Skovlund, Charlotte Wessel

AU - Mørch, Lina Steinrud

AU - Lidegaard, Øjvind

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - INTRODUCTION: The mean age at delivery has increased over the latest half of a century. Women of advanced maternal age have increased obstetrical risks and increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities and some other specified diagnoses in the offspring. The aim of this study was to assess the association between maternal age and overall child morbidity according to main diagnosis groups.MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a national cohort study including 352 027 live firstborn singleton children. The children were born between Jan 1994 and Dec 2009 and followed to Dec 2012. Children were divided into groups according to maternal age: 15-24, 25-29, 30-34, and 35+ years. Poisson regression analyses calculated adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRR) of child morbidities according to main diagnoses groups A-Q of the International Classification of Disease 10 with adjustment for year of birth, body mass index, smoking, and mother's level of education.RESULTS: Average follow-up time was 11 years. Compared to children born to women 25-29 years, firstborn children to mothers aged 35+ had higher child morbidity in 8 of 19 main diagnosis groups and firstborn children to mothers 15-24 years had higher child morbidity in 12 of 19 main diagnosis groups. Thus, for a majority of diseases a U-shaped correlation was found, with lowest rates in women 25-29 years.CONCLUSION: Firstborn children to both older and younger mothers have higher overall morbidity as compared to children born by mothers 25-29 years.

AB - INTRODUCTION: The mean age at delivery has increased over the latest half of a century. Women of advanced maternal age have increased obstetrical risks and increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities and some other specified diagnoses in the offspring. The aim of this study was to assess the association between maternal age and overall child morbidity according to main diagnosis groups.MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a national cohort study including 352 027 live firstborn singleton children. The children were born between Jan 1994 and Dec 2009 and followed to Dec 2012. Children were divided into groups according to maternal age: 15-24, 25-29, 30-34, and 35+ years. Poisson regression analyses calculated adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRR) of child morbidities according to main diagnoses groups A-Q of the International Classification of Disease 10 with adjustment for year of birth, body mass index, smoking, and mother's level of education.RESULTS: Average follow-up time was 11 years. Compared to children born to women 25-29 years, firstborn children to mothers aged 35+ had higher child morbidity in 8 of 19 main diagnosis groups and firstborn children to mothers 15-24 years had higher child morbidity in 12 of 19 main diagnosis groups. Thus, for a majority of diseases a U-shaped correlation was found, with lowest rates in women 25-29 years.CONCLUSION: Firstborn children to both older and younger mothers have higher overall morbidity as compared to children born by mothers 25-29 years.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Birth Order

KW - Body Mass Index

KW - Child

KW - Child, Preschool

KW - Cohort Studies

KW - Denmark/epidemiology

KW - Educational Status

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Infant

KW - Infant, Newborn

KW - Maternal Age

KW - Morbidity

KW - Smoking/adverse effects

KW - Young Adult

U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0174770

DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0174770

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 28380000

VL - 12

JO - PLoS ONE

JF - PLoS ONE

SN - 1932-6203

IS - 4

M1 - e0174770

ER -