Women who have short intervals between pregnancies of less than 18 months are more likely to see a decrease in the length of subsequent pregnancies, finds a new study published today (4 June) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The US study, using birth records from the Ohio Department of Health, looked at 454,716 live births from women with two or more pregnancies over a six year period. The researchers looked at the influence of inadequate birth spacing on the duration of the subsequent pregnancy.
The study defined short interpregnancy interval (IPI) as time from the immediate preceding birth to subsequent conception of the next pregnancy. Researchers categorised the women with short IPIs into two groups, IPI less than 12 months and IPI 12-18 months, comparing them to women who were considered to have an optimal IPI of 18 months or more.
Results showed that mothers with shorter IPIs were more likely to give birth prior to 39 weeks gestation when compared to women with optimal birth spacing. Following a short IPI of less than 12 months, 53.3% of women had delivered before 39 weeks, compared to 37.5% of women with an optimal IPI. Birth after the estimated due date (more than 40 weeks) occurred less often in women with short IPI of less than 12 months, 16.9% compared to 23.1% for a normal IPI.
Furthermore the rate of preterm birth before 37 weeks gestation was higher in women who conceived after a short IPI of less than 12 months. They were more than twice as likely to give birth before 37 weeks compared to pregnancies following an optimal IPI (20.1% vs. 7.7% respectively).
The study also looked at racial groups. Figures showed that black mothers more frequently had shorter IPIs compared to non-black mothers (less than 12 months, 3.3% vs. 1.9% and 12-18 months, 13.2% vs. 10.1%).
Moreover, the rate of preterm birth was also higher in black mothers with short IPI of less than 12 months, 26.4% compared to 8.7% for non-black mothers.
While women who conceived following an optimal IPI (18 months or more) had the lowest rates of preterm birth, black women still showed a higher rate of overall preterm births (11.3%) compared to non-black mothers (6.8%), suggesting that maternal ethnicity was also a significant predictor of preterm birth despite optimal birth spacing.
The authors conclude that short intervals between pregnancies result in decreased pregnancy length overall and that women should be counselled on the importance of optimal birth space, in particular for reducing preterm birth rates.
Emily DeFranco, Assistant Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio and the Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and co-author of the study, said:
"Short interpregnancy interval is a known risk factor for preterm birth, however, this new research shows that inadequate birth spacing is associated with shorter overall pregnancy duration.
"This study has potential clinical impact on reducing the overall rate of preterm birth across the world through counselling women on the importance of adequate birth spacing, especially focusing on women know to be at inherently high risk for preterm birth."
John Thorp, BJOG Deputy-Editor-in-Chief, said:
"We know that inadequate birth spacing is associated with more adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, in many countries like the US.
"This large population-based study further strengthens this and puts more emphasis on the importance of optimal birth spacing, of 18 months or more, especially among women with additional risk factors for preterm birth."
Explore further: Study finds cervicovaginal microbiota differs in women to have preterm birth
More information: Emily A DeFranco, DO, MS, Shelley Ehrlich, MD, ScD, MPH, Louis J Muglia, MD, PhD. Influence of interpregnancy interval on birth timing. BJOG 2014; http://ift.tt/1rJihC2
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Study finds cervicovaginal microbiota differs in women to have preterm birth
Feb 03, 2014
In a study to be presented on Feb. 6 at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in New Orleans, researchers will report that cervicovaginal (CV) microbiota differs in the late second ...
Attention to postpartum contraception needed
Apr 02, 2014
(HealthDay)—Women in the postpartum period should receive counseling and access to contraceptive methods to promote optimal birth spacing, according to research published in the April issue of the American Jo ...
Poor diet before pregnancy is linked with preterm birth
May 23, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—University of Adelaide research has for the first time confirmed that women who eat a poor diet before they become pregnant are around 50% more likely to have a preterm birth than those ...
Antidepressants during pregnancy linked to preterm birth
Mar 27, 2014
Antidepressant medications taken by pregnant women are associated with increased rates of preterm birth. This finding reinforces the notion that antidepressants should not be used by pregnant women in the absence of a clear ...
Study finds residence in US a risk factor for preterm birth
Feb 09, 2012
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that duration of stay in the United States ...
Recommended for you
Making embryos from three people doesn't look unsafe
13 hours ago
Britain's fertility regulator says controversial techniques to create embryos from the DNA of three people "do not appear to be unsafe" even though no one has ever received the treatment, according to a new ...
Risk of serious complications in obstetric anesthesia is low
May 29, 2014
(HealthDay)—The risk of serious complications in obstetric anesthesia is low, according to research published in the June issue of Anesthesiology.
PCOS diagnosis tied to inflammation during pregnancy
May 29, 2014
Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome – the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age – are more likely to experience chronic low-grade inflammation during pregnancy than counterparts who do not have ...
Egg and sperm donors think one to ten children is acceptable
May 28, 2014
Between one and ten children – that is what the majority of Swedish egg and sperm donors think is an acceptable level for their assistance to childless couples. Female donors are more restrictive than male donors, according ...
Poor diet before pregnancy is linked with preterm birth
May 23, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—University of Adelaide research has for the first time confirmed that women who eat a poor diet before they become pregnant are around 50% more likely to have a preterm birth than those ...
Healthcare professionals must be aware of rarer causes of headaches in pregnancy
May 23, 2014
Most headaches in pregnancy and the postnatal period are benign, but healthcare professionals must be alert to the rarer and more severe causes of headaches, suggests a new review published today in The Obstetrician & Gy ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
Women who have short intervals between pregnancies of less than 18 months are more likely to see a decrease in the length of subsequent pregnancies, finds a new study published today (4 June) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
The US study, using birth records from the Ohio Department of Health, looked at 454,716 live births from women with two or more pregnancies over a six year period. The researchers looked at the influence of inadequate birth spacing on the duration of the subsequent pregnancy.
The study defined short interpregnancy interval (IPI) as time from the immediate preceding birth to subsequent conception of the next pregnancy. Researchers categorised the women with short IPIs into two groups, IPI less than 12 months and IPI 12-18 months, comparing them to women who were considered to have an optimal IPI of 18 months or more.
Results showed that mothers with shorter IPIs were more likely to give birth prior to 39 weeks gestation when compared to women with optimal birth spacing. Following a short IPI of less than 12 months, 53.3% of women had delivered before 39 weeks, compared to 37.5% of women with an optimal IPI. Birth after the estimated due date (more than 40 weeks) occurred less often in women with short IPI of less than 12 months, 16.9% compared to 23.1% for a normal IPI.
Furthermore the rate of preterm birth before 37 weeks gestation was higher in women who conceived after a short IPI of less than 12 months. They were more than twice as likely to give birth before 37 weeks compared to pregnancies following an optimal IPI (20.1% vs. 7.7% respectively).
The study also looked at racial groups. Figures showed that black mothers more frequently had shorter IPIs compared to non-black mothers (less than 12 months, 3.3% vs. 1.9% and 12-18 months, 13.2% vs. 10.1%).
Moreover, the rate of preterm birth was also higher in black mothers with short IPI of less than 12 months, 26.4% compared to 8.7% for non-black mothers.
While women who conceived following an optimal IPI (18 months or more) had the lowest rates of preterm birth, black women still showed a higher rate of overall preterm births (11.3%) compared to non-black mothers (6.8%), suggesting that maternal ethnicity was also a significant predictor of preterm birth despite optimal birth spacing.
The authors conclude that short intervals between pregnancies result in decreased pregnancy length overall and that women should be counselled on the importance of optimal birth space, in particular for reducing preterm birth rates.
Emily DeFranco, Assistant Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio and the Center for Prevention of Preterm Birth at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and co-author of the study, said:
"Short interpregnancy interval is a known risk factor for preterm birth, however, this new research shows that inadequate birth spacing is associated with shorter overall pregnancy duration.
"This study has potential clinical impact on reducing the overall rate of preterm birth across the world through counselling women on the importance of adequate birth spacing, especially focusing on women know to be at inherently high risk for preterm birth."
John Thorp, BJOG Deputy-Editor-in-Chief, said:
"We know that inadequate birth spacing is associated with more adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preterm birth, in many countries like the US.
"This large population-based study further strengthens this and puts more emphasis on the importance of optimal birth spacing, of 18 months or more, especially among women with additional risk factors for preterm birth."
Explore further: Study finds cervicovaginal microbiota differs in women to have preterm birth
More information: Emily A DeFranco, DO, MS, Shelley Ehrlich, MD, ScD, MPH, Louis J Muglia, MD, PhD. Influence of interpregnancy interval on birth timing. BJOG 2014; http://ift.tt/1rJihC2
Medical Xpress on facebook
Related Stories
Study finds cervicovaginal microbiota differs in women to have preterm birth
Feb 03, 2014
In a study to be presented on Feb. 6 at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in New Orleans, researchers will report that cervicovaginal (CV) microbiota differs in the late second ...
Attention to postpartum contraception needed
Apr 02, 2014
(HealthDay)—Women in the postpartum period should receive counseling and access to contraceptive methods to promote optimal birth spacing, according to research published in the April issue of the American Jo ...
Poor diet before pregnancy is linked with preterm birth
May 23, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—University of Adelaide research has for the first time confirmed that women who eat a poor diet before they become pregnant are around 50% more likely to have a preterm birth than those ...
Antidepressants during pregnancy linked to preterm birth
Mar 27, 2014
Antidepressant medications taken by pregnant women are associated with increased rates of preterm birth. This finding reinforces the notion that antidepressants should not be used by pregnant women in the absence of a clear ...
Study finds residence in US a risk factor for preterm birth
Feb 09, 2012
In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting, in Dallas, Texas, researchers will report findings that indicate that duration of stay in the United States ...
Recommended for you
Making embryos from three people doesn't look unsafe
13 hours ago
Britain's fertility regulator says controversial techniques to create embryos from the DNA of three people "do not appear to be unsafe" even though no one has ever received the treatment, according to a new ...
Risk of serious complications in obstetric anesthesia is low
May 29, 2014
(HealthDay)—The risk of serious complications in obstetric anesthesia is low, according to research published in the June issue of Anesthesiology.
PCOS diagnosis tied to inflammation during pregnancy
May 29, 2014
Women who have polycystic ovary syndrome – the most common hormone disorder in women of reproductive age – are more likely to experience chronic low-grade inflammation during pregnancy than counterparts who do not have ...
Egg and sperm donors think one to ten children is acceptable
May 28, 2014
Between one and ten children – that is what the majority of Swedish egg and sperm donors think is an acceptable level for their assistance to childless couples. Female donors are more restrictive than male donors, according ...
Poor diet before pregnancy is linked with preterm birth
May 23, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—University of Adelaide research has for the first time confirmed that women who eat a poor diet before they become pregnant are around 50% more likely to have a preterm birth than those ...
Healthcare professionals must be aware of rarer causes of headaches in pregnancy
May 23, 2014
Most headaches in pregnancy and the postnatal period are benign, but healthcare professionals must be alert to the rarer and more severe causes of headaches, suggests a new review published today in The Obstetrician & Gy ...
User comments
© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
0 comments:
Post a Comment