Authors: Ahmed Yassin, Maimoona Ahmed
There is robust evidence from many studies including meta-analysis that after full term or pre-term delivery, interpregnancy intervals of <12 months and >5 years are associated with increased risk of poor perinatal and maternal outcome.
Short inter-pregnancy intervals have been identified as a significant risk for preterm birth with its long-term morbidity. There is evidence linking low birth weight, child autism and schizophrenia with short interpregnancy interval. Short interpregnancy interval is also associated with maternal obesity, anaemia, folate deficiency, cardiovascular diseases, and surgical morbidity during labour for women who delivered by caesarean section in the last pregnancy and increased maternal death.
Women should be educated and counselled on the importance of having optimal birth space to improve the health outcome for themselves and their babies. Infertility, Reproductive health and Obstetric Nurses, midwives and doctors and other health care workers providing care in the community are in a better position to advise women before pregnancy or IVF, during the late antenatal or in the immediate postpartum period about the importance of spacing and how to achieve the desired spacing depending on their reproductive plans.
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