Variation of interval between first and second pregnancy impacts risk of preterm birth

In a study to be presented on Feb. 5 in an oral concurrent session at 8 a.m. PST, at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting™, in San Diego, researchers will report that the variation of interval from delivery time to conception of the next pregnancy has a strong impact on the risk of preterm birth and low birth weight.

Preterm birth is the most common cause of complications in the newborn in the developed world. The main risk factor for preterm birth is a previous preterm birth. Moreover, both a short and long interval between pregnancies also seems to be of influence on the risk for preterm birth. This study looked at women with preterm birth before 37 weeks of gestation in their first pregnancy and analyzed the association between the intervals of the following pregnancies and the risk for recurrence. The study concluded that an interval of less than 12 months causes an increased risk for severe preterm birth in women who already suffered preterm birth in their first pregnancy. This information should be considered in counseling women with preterm birth in their medical history.

In the study, assessed 11,535 women with preterm birth in the first pregnancy and variations of intervals to the next conception and the impact on the subsequent birth.

The study, titled Can Variation of the Interval Between the First and Second Pregnancy be used as a Therapeutic Strategy to Reduce Recurrent Spontaneous Preterm Birth? Assessed 11,535 women with preterm birth in the first pregnancy and variations of intervals to the next conception along with the impact on the subsequent birth.

"Women with preterm birth are advised to postpone their next pregnancy for at least 12 months to prevent another preterm birth," stated Bouchra Koullali, M.D. who is with the Academic Medical Center obstetrics department in Amsterdam.