>BACKGROUND: Maternal age at pregnancy has shown right shift, increasing in recent decades. Advanced maternal age is associated with increased obstetrical and perinatal complications. The impact of maternal age on neurodevelopmental (ND) outcomes of preterm infants remains unknown. >OBJECTIVES: To assess the impact of maternal age on ND outcomes of infants born <29 weeks GA at 18-24 months. >DESIGN/METHODS: Retrospective cohort study of infants born <29 weeks GA between April 2009 and September 2011 and admitted to Canadian NICUs. The primary outcome was a composite of death or ND impairment (NDI)/severe NDI (SNDI) at 18-24 months assessed using the Bayley-III. Maternal age was categorized into 4 age groups: 15-19, 20-34 (reference age group), 35-39, and ≥40 years. Baseline characteristics and short-term neonatal outcomes were compared using appropriate statistics. Association between maternal age and outcomes was assessed using logistic regression after adjusting for confounders. >RESULTS: Of 3691 eligible infants, 2652 had complete data and were included in the analysis. Significant differences in maternal characteristics existed among the 4 maternal age groups; no differences in neonatal characteristics existed other than incidence of BPD (Table 1). The primary outcome of death or SNDI was significantly reduced for infants of mothers≥40 years after controlling for confounders (Table 1). >CONCLUSION: Maternal age≥40 years is associated with lower rates of death or SNDI at 18-24 months among infants born <29 weeks GA. These findings may help to inform future antenatal counseling. >Table 1.Maternal, neonatal and outcome characteristics
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