Science Update: Short interval between pregnancies may increase health risks for mothers and infants | NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Science Update: Short interval between pregnancies may increase health risks for mothers and infants | NICHD - Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Science Update: Short interval between pregnancies may increase health risks for mothers and infants

NIH-funded study suggests that maternal risks are highest for older women

Friday, November 9, 2018

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Compared to younger mothers, mothers over 35 are at higher risk of death and serious illness if they conceive 6 months or less after the birth of a previous child, according to a study funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. For mothers of all ages, such short intervals between pregnancies were associated with higher risk for preterm birth and for having infants small for their gestation age. In contrast, an interval of 18 months between pregnancies conveyed the least risk, while an interval of 12 months was linked to only a slight increase in risk.