Description of the older primipara and her concerns during pregnancy

A descriptive study was conducted to describe women who gave birth to their first child after the age of 30 during 1983 in the state of Utah, and to describe the major concerns these women had during their pregnancies. Questionnaires were mailed to 723 women, with 399 responding. Mother in the sample tended to be married, to have completed some college and to be employed during and after their pregnancies with annual incomes of $20.000 or more. It was determined that older primiparas prioritize their concerns very similarly to the general population of primiparas. Further, the data revealed that the incidence of preexisting illnesses and congenital anomalies were comparable to the commonly-reported incidences within the general population. It was of interest to note that there were no incidences of Down's Syndrome reported within the sample population.