Pregnancy after fifty years of age

CONDUCTED

BY Huoo

EHRENFEST,

Selected

M.D.,

ASSOCIATE

EDITOR

Abstracts Labor

Lo~ll: 153,

The 1931.

Pr~ga~gL

for

Old

primip~~a~,

Act)a

Obst.

et Gynee.

Mcandinav.

11:

This study comprises an analysis of the records of 185 primiparas, forty or more years of age, and 185 primiparas between twenty and twenty-five years and between thirty and thirty-five years. The frequemy of forceps in the three groups from the youngest to the oldest was 4.3 per cent, 26 per cent, and 33.5 per cent respcc. tively. The fetal mortality was 2.7 per cent, 9.8 per cent, and 13 per cent respectively. The prognosis was worse for breech presentations and especially when there were primary weak pains. The morbidity was only slightly higher among the older women. It is not necessary to perform a cesarenn section simply because the patient is over forty years old. J. P. GREEAXILL. Vennelti Gynec.

and Va.isbuch: et d’obst. 26:

Pregnancy 12, 1931.

After

Fifty

Years

of

Age,

RI,~.

fran$.

tie

Gestation after fifty years of age is extremely rare. In the Nancy Maternity among 28,277 deliveries there was only one in a woman of fifty-one years of age. A pregnancy after fifty is never desired. The psychology of a woman of advanced years is peculiar. There is a mental lack of equilibrium which may end in a true Many of these women desire a criminal abortion. psychosis or an attempt at suicide. The authors collected from the literature twenty cases of women over fifty years old who gave birth to children. There were among these, three cases of albuminuria, but no cases of vomiting, eclampsia, or toxemia of pregnancy, and none of abortion or placental hemorrhage. However, there were five instances of hydatidiform mole among the twenty cases. In many cases because of a deficient abdominal wall the uterus was markedly anteflexed, herniated and associated with abnormal fetal presThere were no unusual complications in the puerperium and involution entations. was normal. The flow of milk was established without difficulty. Most of the babies were small. J. P. GREENHILL. Israsl:

Labor

After

a Salt

Free

Diet,

Bull.

SOL

d ‘obst.

et de gynee.

1: 111, 1033.

It is the opinion of Israel that a salt-free diet during the latter months of pregnancy facilitates labor and he cites 20 cases to prove his contention. Such a It shortens the duration of labor, it diminishes diet accomplishes three things. pain especially at the beginning of labor, and it diminishes or suppresses all The diminution of pain is due to manifestations of spasm of the cervix, etc. lessened excitability of the nerve centers and the shortening of labor is a question of metabolism. J. P. GRE~~IIL. 466