Pregnancy: when should you have your next child?
Modern methods of birth control mean that most couples can ‘plan’ their families with a fair degree of certainty. But, especially with the Western trend towards smaller families, many prospective parents wonder what is the ‘best’ interval between children.
For many years doctors have noted that if a woman becomes pregnant very soon after giving birth, there is a strong chance that the subsequent baby will be small or born prematurely.
Researchers who studied more than 150,000 babies born between 1989 and 1996 have now confirmed that, as far as the baby's health is concerned, the best time for a ‘next’ baby to be conceived is 18 to 23 months after its elder brother or sister was born.
Compared to babies conceived during this time, those conceived within 6 months of a previous birth had a 40 per cent greater chance of being premature or undersized at birth. Interestingly, the outlook is similar when there is a longer interval between children. Babies born 10 years after a previous one were 50 per cent more likely to be small or premature.
Clearly there are many factors to consider when deciding on the gap between children. Modern obstetrics and baby care mean that the outlook is still very good for small and premature babies. But for those who want to minimise even the smallest risks, it now seems that there is an ‘ideal’ gap in children's ages.
Last Reviewed: 01 May 2002
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