Data from Rwanda, for example, show about 10 per cent of pregnant schoolgirls being disowned by their families. Whatever the reason a baby is unwanted, he or she is likely to start life at a disadvantage. Abandonment is common, a reason for the swelling numbers of street children in large cities from Manila to Rio de Janeiro. If the child is kept in the family, the mother still may not be psychologically prepared for the responsibility of child rearing, or family resources may not be adequate to meet the baby's needs. The child is also more likely to be subjected to abuse.
Spacing births offers important benefits for both infants and mothers.
Infants born less than one year after the end of their mothers' last pregnancy are much more likely to be malnourished and die than infants born after a longer interval. The risk of death posed by short birth intervals continues even after the first year of life. Furthermore, when two children are born very close together, the health of the older child may also be in jeopardy. Children weaned too early are much more susceptible to malnutrition and infection. This may be especially true among women who breastfeed their children for long periods and among women who are mal-nourished and perform heavy physical work.