If one looks at the raw statistics, the rates of many of the complications of pregnancy go up in older women. Preeclampsia (a common pregnancy syndrome, characterized by high blood pressure), premature delivery, maternal, fetal, and newborn death, and placenta previa (the incorrect placement of the placenta inside the uterus) are more common, to name a few. From a practical perspective, there is more than overall statistics to look at. First, the rates of most complications are rather low. Therefore, an increase may not be much to get all worked up about. Even an increase double or triple the rate of the 25 year old population still means the absolute risk is low. For example, if the rate of something is one in a million at 25, and the risk is (gasp) ten times that at 45, then the risk is one out of 100,000. Not something to loose sleep over. Secondly, the reason more older women have complications during pregnancy is not all due to age. It is closely related to the increased rates of complications and diseases and problems as we age.
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