Interpregnancy Intervals of 24-29 Months Reduce Preterm Birth Risk, finds study

Systematic literature search was done in PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Embase through June 2, 2023. Studies included IPI and preterm birth outcomes data, with quality assessment based on the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). A Bayesian network meta-analysis was carried out to establish the relationship between IPI length and risk of preterm birth. The meta-analysis comprised 34 studies involving data from 8,646,679 individuals, one of the largest reviews conducted so far on this issue.

Key Findings

• An IPI of 24-29 months was found to be the ideal interval with the least risk of preterm birth.

• Compared with IPIs of < 5 months, a 24-29 month IPI reduced the risk of preterm birth at:

• Less than 32 weeks of gestation (OR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.50 - 0.62)

• Preterm birth less than 37 weeks of gestation (OR = 0.61; 95% CI: 0.59 - 0.63)

• Brief IPIs, particularly those of less than 5 months, were linked with a higher risk of preterm birth.

• The results highlight the need for spacing pregnancies to reduce unfavorable birth outcomes.

Intervals of less than 5 months are associated with a high risk of preterm birth, further supporting the importance of adequate counseling and advice for pregnant women. Best IPI guidelines should be incorporated by medical practitioners in prenatal and postnatal care to improve fetal and maternal health outcomes.

The study authors establish that 24-29 months of interpregnancy interval significantly decrease the risk of preterm birth, and it gives very important information for family planning and guidelines on maternal health. Birth spacing should be encouraged by healthcare professionals in order to avoid poor pregnancy outcomes and enhance neonatal well-being.

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