Table 6 The consequences of a short interval (< 2 years) to subsequent pregnancy following birth
Study | Aim | Methods | Outcome measure | Findings | Notes | Quality assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Smith et al., (2003) [49] | To determine whether a short interval between pregnancies is an independent risk factor for adverse obstetric outcome. | Retrospective cohort study conducted in Scotland, UK. 89,194 women were included | Outcomes were measured for the second child: Intrauterine growth restriction, extremely preterm birth, moderately preterm birth and perinatal death. | A short inter-pregnancy interval (<  6 months) was an independent risk factor for extremely preterm birth (adjusted odds ratio 2.2, 1.4 to 3.6), moderately preterm birth (1.6, 1.3 to 2.0), and neonatal death unrelated to congenital abnormality (3.6, 1.2 to 10.7). | Good range of covariates accounted for in statistical analysis | Moderate |