13 Mar 2025 • Analyzing 1,517,106 births has identified a J-shaped relationship between interpregnancy interval (IPI) after vaginal delivery and preterm birth (PTB) risk.

Key Findings:

• The lowest risk of PTB was observed at an IPI of approximately 23 months, with significantly higher odds for both shorter (≤11 months) and longer (≥24 months) intervals.
• Compared to the reference group (18–23 months), deviations in IPI increased PTB risk, with effect values of 0.975 for shorter intervals and 1.006 for longer ones.

These findings reinforce the importance of optimal birth spacing to reduce adverse neonatal outcomes.

Source: BMC | Read Full Story