Maternal age and the duration of the second stage of labor

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between parity, maternal age at delivery, gestational age, and duration of the second stage of labor. In this article a retrospective analysis of deliveries during the period from 2000 to 2005 in our Institution was made. We recorded 208 pregnant women under the age of 20 years, 6,115 between 20 and 40 years, and 188 over the age of 40 years considering parity, duration of second stage of labor, birth weight, and gestation age. The correlation of the above parameters was statistically analyzed. In primigravidas, under the age of 20 years, the second stage of labor was significantly shorter compared to women aged over 40 years, and significantly shorter compared to women between the age of 20 and 40 years. Gestational age at delivery was significantly shorter in women aged over 40 years compared to those under the age of 20 years as well as to those between 20 and 40 years of age. Age was positively correlated to the duration of the second stage of labor and negatively correlated to the gestation age at delivery. In multigravidas, age was negatively correlated to the gestational age at delivery. In primigravidas, maternal age was positively correlated with the duration of the second stage of labor. On the contrary, gestational age at delivery was negatively correlated with maternal age. In multigravidas, a negative correlation between maternal age and gestational age at delivery was statistically significant.