birth interval


birth interval

The time elapsed between a full-term pregnancy and the termination or completion of the next pregnancy. Parents manage the interval between births for personal, psychological, or economic reasons. Intervals of less than 17 months or more than 5 years increase the risk of certain maternal and child health problems, such as preeclampsia, eclampsia, low birth weight, preterm birth, and maternal mortality. Synonym: birth spacinginterpregnancy intervalSee also: interval