Mothers are growing older but less smoke during pregnancy, according to a national survey

Age during pregnancy is more advanced but smoking reduces shows including national perinatal survey, published by the Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics (Drees, Ministry of Health ).
The national perinatal surveys defined in perinatal plans in 1994 and 2004 and are held every 3-5 years, designed to provide information on the main indicators of the perinatal period.

The latter, which focuses on all children born from 13 to 19 October 2003, shows that the average age of mothers at birth has increased as 15.9% of the mothers had at least 35 years, against 14.7% in 1998 and 12.5% in 1995.

But the proportion of women who reported smoking at the third trimester of pregnancy is less than 22%, against 25% in 1998 and 25.1% in 1995. Similarly, before pregnancy, 36% of women smoke, against 39% in 1998.

Treatments for infertility concerned less than 5% of pregnancies in 2003, a decrease from 1998, when 5.7% of women had received such treatment. It is primarily (in half of the cases) of ovulation induction alone. The use of in vitro fertilization for 35% of cases. Nearly one in 10 women (9.5%) reported having waited more than two years this pregnancy.

Prenatal care has also improved, more than 9 out of 10 women who received prenatal visits of seven regulations, but one woman in 100 was less than 4. The average number of visits remained stable at 8.9 in 2003. The average number of ultrasounds continued to increase slightly to 4.5, against four in 1995. Only 2.6% of women had less than three, against 3.7% in 1998, and 57% had more than three (54% in 1998).

HIV testing has affected 75% of patients in 2003 against 61% previously, and 8 out of 10 women had a blood test the risk of trisomy 21, against 2 of 3 in 1998. But the rate of amniocentesis remained stable at 11% (61% in women 38 years and older).

The prenatal hospitalization rates decreased 18.5% for women against 21.5% in 1998, as well as the duration of hospitalization, the proportion of hospitalizations a day increasing significantly (22.5% against 18 %), while that of the hospital for more than eight days continues to decline (24% against 29%).