What is the relationship between fetal mortality and maternal age?
Fetal mortality rates vary considerably by the age of the mother. Fetal mortality rates were lowest for women aged 25–29 years, and were higher for teenagers and those aged 35 years and over. For teenagers, fetal mortality rates were highest for the youngest women. The fetal mortality rate for women under age 15 years was 2.2 times the rate for women aged 25–29 years. The rate for women aged 15–19 years was 38% higher than the rate for women aged 25–29 years. The higher risk for teenagers may relate to less favorable socioeconomic and behavioral conditions among pregnant teenagers, although biologic immaturity may also play a role, particularly for the youngest teenagers (11). At the opposite end of the age spectrum, fetal mortality rates also increased rapidly for women aged 35 years and over. The fetal mortality rate for women aged 35–39 years was 33% higher than for women aged 25–29 years. Moreover, the rate for women aged 40–44 years was double and that for women aged 45 years and
