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
