Fetal and Neonatal Impact of a Short Interpregnancy Interval in Moroccan Pregnant Women: A Retrospective Study

The short interpregnancy interval is a frequent clinical situation with adverse fetal, neonatal, and infantile outcomes. The present study aimed to assess the fetal and neonatal consequences of closely spaced pregnancies.
This retrospective study was conducted on 162 mothers, 81 of whom had an inter-pregnancy interval of fewer than 18 months, and 81 cases had an inter-pregnancy interval of more than 18 months. These participants had given birth at the Souissi Maternity Hospital in Rabat during the last 12 months. The socio-economic data, obstetrical history, as well as fetal and neonatal data, were extracted from medical records via a pre-established questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed in SPSS software (version 20.0).
The mean scores of the inter-pregnancy interval were reported as 11.83±3.08 and 29.83±9.83 in the groups of closely spaced pregnancies and inter-pregnancy intervals of more than 18 months (P=0.03). The number of illiterate women was significantly higher in the group with a short interpregnancy interval, compared to that in the group with an interpregnancy interval over 18 months (46.9% versus 9.9; P<0.001). Almost one-third of women with a short interpregnancy interval had a premature birth. Other adverse fetal outcomes, including low birth weight and respiratory distress, were detected with prevalence rates of 21% (p<0.001) and 9.9%, respectively (P=0.04).
As evidenced by the results of this study, it is essential to inform families and mothers about the fact that a reasonable delay (> 18 months)  between pregnancies reduces the risks for both mother and child.