Impact of Birth Spacing on Maternal and Perinatal Health
Summary
Birth spacing, the interval between consecutive pregnancies, exerts a profound influence on both maternal and infant well-being. Short intervals (commonly defined as under 18–24 months) may precipitate maternal nutritional depletion, inadequate recovery of folate stores and incomplete uterine involution, thereby elevating the risk of maternal anaemia, uterine rupture and obstetric complications. For the neonate, insufficient spacing is associated with higher rates of preterm birth, low birth weight and small-for-gestational-age infants, which in turn increase neonatal morbidity and mortality. Conversely, very long intervals (often over 60 months) may be linked to declining physiological resilience and vascular adaptation, with a modest rise in adverse outcomes. Optimal spacing of approximately 24–36 months supports maternal recovery, enhances the success of breastfeeding and family planning efforts, and contributes to reductions in perinatal mortality. Globally, guidelines emphasise counselling on interpregnancy intervals to balance fertility desires with health risks, underscoring the critical role of accessible reproductive health services, nutritional support and community education in improving outcomes.
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Impact of Birth Spacing on Maternal and Perinatal Health publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in impact of birth spacing on maternal and perinatal health across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Interpregnancy interval (IPI): Time between delivery of one child and conception of the next.
Small-for-gestational-age (SGA): Birth weight below the 10th percentile for gestational age and sex.
Low birth weight (LBW): Infant weight at birth under 2,500 grams, regardless of gestational age.
Preterm birth (PTB): Delivery occurring before 37 completed weeks of gestation.
References
- Interpregnancy interval and early infant neurodevelopment: the role of maternal–fetal glucose metabolism. BMC Medicine (2024).
- Association of interpregnancy interval with adverse pregnancy outcomes according to the outcomes of the preceding pregnancy: a longitudinal study with 4.7 million live births from Brazil. The Lancet Regional Health - Americas (2024).
- Short birth interval in the Asia-Pacific region: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Global Health (2024).
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