Two-year wait between pregnancies ‘not necessary’
WHO advice on pregnancy intervals is outdated and not applicable to countries like Australia, researchers say
Health advice that mothers should wait at least two years between pregnancies to reduce the risk of complications might be “unnecessarily long”, Australian researchers say.
But moving too quickly — under six months — to conceive a second baby can have downsides, they suggested.
The WHO originally issued the guidance on spacing pregnancies back in 2005 to help reduce poor maternal and infant health outcomes.
Researchers from Curtin University’s school of population health are questioning the relevance of the advice for high-income countries, like Australia, because it’s based on “limited evidence” from mostly low- and middle-income countries.
