ANALYSIS

Agustin Conde-Agudelo, MD, MPH, Santa Fe de Bogota Foundation, Colombia

Anyeli Rosas-Bermzdez, MPH, Universidad Autonoma de Occidente, Colombia

Ana Cecilia Kafury-Goeta, MD, Clmnica Materno-Infantil Los Farallones, Colombia

67 international studies involving more than 11 million pregnancies

Appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association.

FINDINGS

Chances of having healthy babies can be maximized

Space pregnancies at least 18 months but no more than five years apart

Spacing babies too close together or too far apart raises risks

Complications could be premature births and low birth weight

More infant deaths could be avoided with better family planning

BETWEEN PREGNANCY FINDINGS

Each month under 18 months, premature birth risk increases 1.9 percent

Each month longer than 59 months, premature birth risk climbs 0.6 percent

Holds true for both developing and developed nations

CONDE-AGUDELO: TOO CLOSE TOGETHER

Pregnancy and nursing use up nutrients in body

Pregnancy before nutritients restored may mean higher risks for baby

CONDE-AGUDELO: TOO FAR APART

Time could diminish a woman's reproductive capacity

Factors that decrease fertility could lead to poor fetal development