As already stated, the number of studies included in this review was quite small. This was partly due to the fact that all studies relating to either postnatal issues, or to specific medical problems associated with pregnancy in older women, were excluded. Any literature not published in English would also have been excluded from the search. It may be fair to criticise the exclusion criteria used for the present review, however, the studies that were finally included formed quite a diverse selection, and the overall breadth of issues covered in them means that the conclusions that can be drawn from the present review are valuable, relevant and usable.