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CME Credit Offered
CME Credit Offered
Abstract Award
Abstract Award
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Poster Session 3

(921) Impact of maternal age on likelihood of cesarean delivery

Friday, January 31, 2025
10:30 AM – 12:30 PM  

    Submitting Author and Presenting Author(s)

  • Shaun R. Wesley, MD

    MFM Fellow
    University of Rochester
    Rochester, New York, United States

    • Coauthor(s)

  • SC

    Sarah Crimmins, DO

    University of Rochester
    Rochester, New York, United States

Objective: To evaluate the impact of maternal age on the likelihood of undergoing cesarean delivery (CD) while adjusting for clinical and demographic confounders, focusing on clinically meaningful odds ratios.

Study Design: This retrospective cohort study utilized the United States Vital Statistics Natality Birth Data from 2018 to 2022, comprising 18,524,899 births. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to analyze the association between maternal age and CD, adjusting for body mass index (BMI), pre-pregnancy hypertension, pre-pregnancy diabetes, previous cesarean section, parity, and chorioamnionitis. The analysis highlights odds ratios greater than 2.0 or less than 0.5, indicating clinical significance in delivery outcomes.

Results:

The final analysis included 18,062,643 cases after excluding missing data. Compared to individuals under 20, cesarean delivery rates increased with age. Individuals aged 35-39 had significantly increased odds of CD (aOR: 2.65, 95% CI: 2.63, 2.66), and those aged 40 and older had even higher odds (aOR: 3.70, 95% CI: 3.67, 3.73). Previous cesarean delivery strongly predicted future CD (aOR: 35.74, 95% CI: 35.60, 35.88). Conversely, being multiparous significantly decreased odds of CD (aOR: 0.32, 95% CI: 0.32, 0.33). Notably, individuals with Class III obesity (BMI ≥ 40.0) had more than double the odds of CD with all other covariates held constant (aOR: 3.36, 95% CI: 3.33, 3.39).

Conclusion: Maternal age is a significant predictor of CD, especially for those over 35, showing a clinically significant increase in CD likelihood. Our data emphasizes factors representing meaningful clinical thresholds, aiding healthcare providers in decision-making and patient counseling. These findings enhance risk assessment strategies and inform future research on targeted interventions for higher risk populations.