Women Around the World Need to Know About the Health Benefits of Birth Spacing

USAID-supported research recommends that women and couples around the world should wait at least 24 months after a birth before attempting to conceive again, but not longer than five years. Such spacing of births brings the best outcomes not only for the mother but for the newborns, infants, and children as well. The vast majority of women will need to use a family planning method for 24 months or more in order to achieve adequate and healthy spacing between births.

Following the publication of a recent article describing a study on birth spacing in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Conde-Agudelo et al. “Birth Spacing and Risk of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes” JAMA, April 19, 2006, Vol. 295, No. 15), there was a flurry of news coverage about birth spacing. Some of the media stories reflected confusion about birth spacing.

The JAMA study described the effects of birth spacing exclusively on newborns during the first few days of life (the perinatal period) rather than when they are older. The review of the evidence presented in the study showed that when mothers wait at least 18 months after a delivery before becoming pregnant again, they lower the risk that their newborns are born too soon, too small, or of low birthweight.

Other research, focused on birth spacing and mortality risks for children under age 5, has shown that even wider spacing between pregnancies—24 months or more—may reduce risks to the child not only during the first few days of life but also during infancy and up to 5 years of age. Furthermore, birth spacing has positive health benefits for mothers.

The recommendation to wait at least 24 months after a birth before attempting a pregnancy is part of a larger United States Agency for International Development (USAID) strategy to support the healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies.