P.H., Robert L. Goldenberg, M.D., and their colleague. In a recent study of low income women, shorter intervals between the birth of one child and the conception of the next child were found to be associated with higher percentages of preterm births.
Preterm births are a major cause of low birthweight and other health problems in infants.
This study examined the effects of interpregnancy intervals on both factors, but shorter intervals were found to affect only likelihood of preterm delivery in this population. The authors found that the mother's age and race were related to the time between pregnancies. Younger women, especially those under 20 years of age, were more likely to become pregnant again within 6 months of delivering a child. White women were more likely than non-whites to have very short interpregnancy intervals, and were less likely to have intervals of more than 2 years. Shorter intervals between pregnancies were also found to be associated with delays in seeking prenatal care for the second pregnancy.