ADVANCED MATERNAL AGE AND SMOKING - RISK-FACTORS FOR ADMISSION TO A NEONATAL INTENSIVE-CARE UNIT

The aim of this study was to assess if advanced maternal age and cigar ette smoking increased the requirement for admission to the neonatal i ntensive care unit (NICU) and if those factors acted synergistically. Retrospective analysis was made of 3518 singleton pregnancies receivin g antenatal care and delivering at King's College Hospital from 1 Janu ary 1992 to 31 December 1992. The maternal age was greater than 35 yea rs in 356 women (10.1% of the total) and 49 (13.8%) of those were ciga rette smokers. There was an inverse relationship between maternal age and smoking. Two hundred and fifty-nine infants were admitted to the N ICU. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between maternal age and admission (p < 0.05), but no independent effe ct of maternal smoking. The proportion of infants from smoking mothers of advanced age (> 35 years) admitted to the NICU, however, was great er than that from young (less than or equal to 35 years) smoking mothe rs (p < 0.05). Advanced maternal age does increase the requirement for NICU admission and this effect is enhanced by smoking.