J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2012 Jun 18. [Epub ahead of print]

Paternal Age and Risk for Cesarean Delivery.

Faro R, Santolaya-Forgas J, Canterino JC, Oyelese Y, Ananth CV.

Source

Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ.

Abstract

Abstract Objective: To determine whether advanced paternal age is associated with increased risk for cesarean delivery. Study Design: We used the 1990-2002 US linked live birth and infant death data files restricted to primiparous Caucasian and African-American women that delivered a singleton birth at ≥20 week's gestation (12.5 million). We examined temporal trends and risk ratios of cesarean birth in relation to paternal age before and after adjustments for known confounders. Results: Among Caucasians, the cesarean delivery rates were 21.1%, 26.7% and 31.8% in fathers aged 20-29, 30-39 and ≥40 years, respectively.Among African-Americans, the corresponding rates were 24.1%, 33.2%, and 38.1%, respectively.These increased cesarean delivery rates persisted in analyses stratified by maternal age before and after adjustment for a variety of confounders. Conclusions: These findings suggest that increasing paternal age may be associated with an increased risk for cesarean delivery in primiparous women.