Sequential aspects of spontaneous abortion: Maternal age, parity, and pregnancy compensation artifact

Maternal age, gravidity, and pregnancy spacing effects on spontaneous fetal mortality

“…James (1968James ( , 1974 reports analyses which suggest that such artifactual processes are the primary 1 Some of the same studies provide evidence of higher risk of loss before age twenty and for first pregnancies, but these results are not universal, and the estimated effects of young age and first order are typically rather small. cause of the observed relationships with age and order, but other empirical research is not consistent with James' argument (Naylor, 1974;Leridon, 1976). Moreover, there is clinical evidence that some of the suspected causes of fetal deaths are positively associated with age and possibly order (James, 1974;Naylor, 1974;WHO, 1970).…”

“…cause of the observed relationships with age and order, but other empirical research is not consistent with James' argument (Naylor, 1974;Leridon, 1976). Moreover, there is clinical evidence that some of the suspected causes of fetal deaths are positively associated with age and possibly order (James, 1974;Naylor, 1974;WHO, 1970).…”

“…Previous empirical analyses have, without important exception, found the risk of loss to be greater for pregnancies to older women, and for pregnancies of higher order (Awan, 1975;Kieley et al, 1986;Leridon, 1976;Naylor, 1974;Nortman, 1974;Pebley et al, 1985;Shapiro et al, 1970;Yerushalmy et al, 1956). * These findings do not necessarily imply increasing probability of loss as maternal age and pregnancy order rise.…”

“…More likely than differences between population groups in levels of fetal loss are inherent differences between women (Leridon, 1977;Naylor, 1974) and differences between pregnancies at different stages of the reproductive career, as indexed by age or gravidity (WHO, 1970). The former may account for some of the unexplained variation between women in reproductive perfor- Vol.…”

Risk of epilepsy in offspring of affected women

“…[5][6][7][8][9][10] Little is known regarding factors associated with spontaneous abortion. Maternal age, smoking, and a family history of recurrent miscarriage have been found to increase risk, 24,25 but we are not aware of any studies that have examined the association between epilepsy and spontaneous abortion in the general population.…”