This project took place at our London centre which operated between 1995 and 2021.
The average age at which women are having their first child has been gradually increasing: now, many pregnant women are over the age of 35. Pregnancy at older ages increases the risk of complications during pregnancy and labour. These include miscarriage, induction of labour, caesarean section, instrument-assisted delivery, labour that doesn’t progress and bleeding after delivery.
Several studies have shown that the womb may not work as well in older women. This may be because the muscle produces less energy so that contractions are less effective. This means that labour isn't triggered in the same way as in younger women. By understanding these changes, we can give better care to older mothers to help them have safe pregnancies.
We studied mice to find out more about the effects of maternal age on the function of the womb and cervix, and how age can affect pregnancy. We found that the signals that determine when birth happens decrease with age, affecting the preparation of these tissues for labour.
The function of the womb and the cervix also appear to get worse in older mothers. If these age-related changes also occur in humans, then we will need to find ways of helping them overcome these problems during pregnancy by changing clinical practice. We hope to continue this work and extend it to looking at humans.
Get our research updates
Tommy's funds research across the UK investigating the reasons for pregnancy complications and loss. We can keep you updated on our research news. If you're interested in being kept updated about our research and news from Tommy's, click here.
