Maternal Age at Conception. Effects on Intrauterine Development, Disease Predisposition and Gene Frequencies

Fulvia Gloria-Bottini, University
Erich Cosmi, University, Department of Gynecologic Science and Human
Gian Franco Meloni, University of Sassari, Department of Pediatrics
Ermelando Vinicio Cosmi, University, Institute of Gynecology, Perinatology and Child Health
Egidio Bottini, University, Department of Neurosciences

Besides a reduction of fertility below replacement level, “fertility transition” in Western Nations is associated to a delay in age at initiation of childbearing. In this note we review data by our group showing that delay of childbearing has important effect on fetal development, predisposition to type 1 diabetes and gene frequencies. Gestational age decreases while birth weight (percentile) increases with maternal age. Bivariate correlation among birth weight, placental weight and gestational age decreases with maternal age (data on 5454 newborns). Susceptibility to type 1 diabetes increases with maternal age at birth of newborn (data on 187 children with type 1 diabetes and on 5454 control newborns). Gene frequency of Haptoglobin*1 decreases with maternal age ( data on 679 puerperae) and haplotype frequency of PGM1*1/Rh*C increases with maternal age (data on 222 puerperae).