President's Invitation

Dear Colleagues,

I welcome you to the 10th Maria Delivoria-Papadopoulos Perinatal Symposium, which this year has the title "Advanced Maternal age and Childbearing". This topic is extremely interesting and very topical, at least for Western societies, where gender equality is legislated.

The good of equality, for which entire generations of oppressed women fought and finally won - in many, but not yet in most countries of the world - does not only entail the recognition of the value of women and their equal position in society. It has as a consequence the need for greater and longer education and the search for work, often exhausting, in an extremely competitive environment, where the male gender has dominated for centuries.

The result is a delay in the woman's decision to start a family and reproduce, at ages much older than in the past. But this brings about a series of biological, medical, social, economic problems and has a direct impact on both herself and her offspring.
We will discuss these issues at our Symposium this year. The selection of speakers, to which the co-organizer Professor Gian Carlo Di Renzo contributed decisively, are internationally the most experts. I would like to wholeheartedly thank them for their selfless offer on their day off and eventual rest, in addition for some in "brutal" morning hours.

I would also like to express my thanks to the sponsors, without whose contribution the event would not have been possible, as well as to the office that undertook the secretarial support of the Symposium. Finally, to all of you who will watch it, hoping that you will gain new, useful knowledge.

Professor Ariadne Malamitsi-Puchner, MD, PhD