05/29/2025
There are several risk factors for pelvic organ prolapse, now showing that starting to have babies later in life may contribute. Focusing on good pelvic health function while pregnant can help reduce this risk!
AJOG Expert Review: Older maternal age at first delivery as a risk factor for pelvic organ prolapse: what we know: Relationship between older age at first delivery and mechanisms of pelvic organ prolapse (POP)
There are several suggested mechanisms of POP development. Research shows that older age at first delivery may impact 3 of these mechanisms: pelvic floor muscle dysfunction, levator ani muscle defect, and enlarged ge***al hiatus.The final potential mechanism, tissue- or cell-level dysfunction, has not yet been investigated based on age at first delivery. Green checkboxes or red question marks indicate the general conclusion from evidence collected on the effect of maternal age at first delivery on each mechanism of POP.
GH, ge***al hiatus; LAM, levator ani muscle; PFM, pelvic floor muscle. https://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378(25)00151-6/fulltext