Scientists Calculate the Optimal Interval Between Pregnancies

The interval between pregnancies is an important factor that can affect the health of mother and child. Colombian scientists led by Agustín Conde-Agudelo conducted a study to determine the optimal interval between pregnancies that is associated with the lowest risk of premature birth and low birth weight.

To do this, scientists analyzed data from 67 studies conducted from 1966 to 2006 and including information on 11 million pregnancies. The results of the study showed that an interval between pregnancies of less than 18 and more than 59 months is associated with an increased risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.

When comparing data on intervals between births and the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, factors such as maternal age and family socioeconomic status were taken into account. Pregnancies that occurred within six months after the birth of the child were 40% more likely to end in premature birth, compared to pregnancies that occurred 18-23 months after birth. In addition, such pregnancies were 61% more likely to result in low birth weight babies.

If the interval between pregnancies was more than 59 weeks, the risk of similar side effects increased by 20-43%. Each month of pregnancy before 18 months after birth increased the risk of preterm birth by 2% and the risk of having a low birth weight baby by 3.3%.

The negative effect of a short interval between conceptions is associated with insufficient time for a woman to recover from a previous pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding. The negative effect of too long an interval between conceptions is due to the fact that the woman’s body loses the skill of pregnancy and actually returns to the original state in which it was already during the first pregnancy.

Scientists' calculations have shown that the risk of premature birth and low birth weight in women during pregnancies occurring at intervals of more than 5 years is almost the same as that which occurred during the first pregnancy. Therefore, when planning repeated pregnancies, women should take into account that the optimal interval between them should be from two to five years.

This means that women should give their bodies enough time to recover from previous pregnancy and childbirth. Optimal spacing between pregnancies also allows women adequate time to breastfeed and care for the baby, which can have a positive impact on the baby's health.

These study results may help women and their partners make more informed decisions when planning a pregnancy. But it is worth remembering that each case is individual, and the optimal interval between pregnancies may differ depending on the specific circumstances and characteristics of the woman’s body.

However, these results highlight the importance of careful pregnancy planning and maternal and infant health care, which can significantly reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes and low birth weight births.