[Risks associated with childbearing postponement: the relationship between increased mean maternal age and spontaneous abortions in Italy.].

An increased rate of spontaneous abortions has been observed in Italy in recent years, despite a lower fertility rate in the country. In view of the well known and proven link between increasing maternal age and risk of spontaneous abortion, this study examines the relation between increased rate of abortion and progressive postponement of childbearing in Italy. Data was obtained from the Italian National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) and from the Health For All databases. Findings show that the mean maternal age at delivery has progressively increased in the last two decades, in parallel with the mean age at the time of spontaneous abortion, and confirm that the increased rate of spontaneous abortions in Italy is strongly correlated with childbearing postponement.