Close spacing of births harms the health of mother and baby during pregnancy and forces children to compete for nourishment and maternal care. When a pregnant woman has not had time to fully recover from the previous birth, the new baby often develops too slowly and is born underweight or premature, increasing its chances of dying in infancy. Children born close together have higher rates of malnutrition, develop more slowly, and are at increased risk of contracting and dying from childhood infectious diseases. ALSO AT RISK Pregnancies to very young mothers also carry increased risks for both mother and baby. Children born to mothers under age 18 have a greater chance of dying before age five, compared with births to mothers aged 20 to 34.
Babies born to very young mothers are again more likely to be premature or underweight.
Teenage girls who are not physically mature are at greater risk of obstructed labor and complications during delivery. They are less likely to get prenatal care and to have the means to safeguard the health of their infants. Adolescent girls are also more likely to undergo unsafe abortions. Even where abortion is legal, access may be difficult for unmarried girls. By preventing closely-spaced births or those to very young mothers, family planning could reduce infant and child mortality by up to 25 percent, or about three million deaths a year.