One of the most common doubts among couples who want to have more than one child is knowing how long to wait between each pregnancy. For several years now, the World Health Organization (WHO) has set this recommendation at a minimum of two years or 24 months .
However, according to a new study, this recommendation may need to be revised or updated, as they found that the waiting time between pregnancies could be shorter than previously believed .
According to a document published by the WHO, ” after a live birth, the recommended interval before attempting the next pregnancy is at least 24 months in order to reduce the risk of adverse maternal, perinatal and infant outcomes .”
This document is from 2005, so it is possible that the recommendations that were published at that time have changed or research has been done with more updated information, such as the study that we share below.
Published in the journal Plos One, the study by Australia’s Curtin University analyzed more than five million deliveries in three million women in Finland, Norway, Australia and the United States.
According to the results of their analysis, a six-month interval between pregnancies has practically the same level of risks and complications as one between 18 and 23 months , as long as there are no particular medical conditions that make this wait necessary.
The risks they did find were related to extreme amounts of time: an interval of less than six months increased the probability of preterm delivery, while a wait longer than 60 months increased the risk of complications in delivery .
The researchers note that their research focused on countries with high income levels, something that is not indicated in the recommendations published 15 years ago by the WHO.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Tessema, comments that in addition to suggesting that the recommendation could be lower than the current recommendation, this study seeks to give peace of mind to families who for some reason have conceived a baby again before 24 months of delivery previous.
Photo | iStock
Via | EurekAlert
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