Objectives: To investigate the clinical characteristics and evaluate pregnancy outcomes in primiparous women aged ≥ 35 years who conceived via infertility treatments.
Subjects and methods: A prospective case series study was conducted on 84 primiparous women aged ≥ 35 years who conceived through assisted reproductive technology, receiving antenatal care and pregnancy management at Can Tho Gynecology Obstetrics Hospital.
Results: The mean maternal age was 38.2 ± 3.0 years, with the 35-39 age group accounting for 72.6%. The mean BMI was 22.33 kg/m². Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy accounted for 36.9%, of which preeclampsia constituted 14.3%. The cesarean section rate was 96.4%, with elective cesarean sections accounting for 32.1%. The mean gestational age at delivery was 37 weeks and 6 days. The rate of preterm birth was 20.2%, the mean birth weight was 2992.6 ± 544.8g, with 22.8% of neonates being low birth weight and 17.9% requiring NICU admission.
Conclusions: Primiparous women aged ≥ 35 years conceiving after infertility treatments are at a high risk for pregnancy complications, including hypertensive disorders, preterm birth, and an exceptionally high cesarean section rate. Therefore, pre-pregnancy counseling and individualized pregnancy management strategies are mandatory to optimize perinatal outcomes.