A pregnancy is generally considered high risk based on maternal age if the woman is either 17 years old or younger, or 35 years old and older. These age groups are associated with increased chances of complications for both the mother and the baby
- Younger than 18 years: Pregnancies in teenagers are high risk due to higher likelihood of pregnancy-related high blood pressure, premature labor, and low birthweight babies
- 35 years and older: Known as advanced maternal age, pregnancies in this group face higher risks of complications such as miscarriage, stillbirth, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, cesarean delivery, and chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome
The risk of miscarriage and stillbirth increases with age, especially after 35, and rises sharply in women over 40. Cesarean rates also increase with maternal age
. In summary, high-risk pregnancy by age is defined as pregnancy occurring at age 17 or younger, or at age 35 and above, due to the elevated risks of maternal and fetal complications in these age groups
