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The effects of birth spacing on early childhood development in high-income nations: A systematic review

Gursimran Dhamrait1,2, Tess Fletcher1,3, Damien Foo4,5

  • 1Telethon Kids Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|December 12, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Short birth spacing is linked to poorer child development outcomes in early childhood. Long birth spacing may also negatively impact development, suggesting optimal intervals are crucial for healthy child development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Birth spacing, the interval between births, is a critical factor in maternal and child health.
  • Previous research has primarily focused on the perinatal period, leaving a gap in understanding longer-term developmental effects.
  • Systematic reviews on interpregnancy intervals and child development beyond infancy are lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To systematically review existing literature on the association between birth spacing and child developmental outcomes in early childhood (3-10 years).
  • To synthesize evidence on how interpregnancy intervals influence child development during and after the perinatal period.

Main Methods:

  • A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases (e.g., PubMed, Scopus, ERIC) for articles published between 1989 and 2021.
  • Studies included were published in English, focused on high-income countries, and measured birth spacing and child development outcomes in children under 10 years.
  • Two independent reviewers assessed study eligibility and extracted relevant data on study design, population, exposure (birth spacing), and outcomes.

Main Results:

  • Seven studies met the inclusion criteria from over 1,500 records.
  • Five studies utilized birth intervals as the primary exposure measure, with varying definitions.
  • Three studies found associations between short birth spacing and poorer child development, while two studies linked long birth spacing to adverse outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • Limited evidence indicates that the negative effects of suboptimal birth spacing extend beyond infancy.
  • Both short and long interpregnancy intervals may be associated with adverse developmental outcomes in early childhood.
  • Further research is needed to clarify the optimal birth spacing for child development.
Abstract

Keywords:
birth intervalbirth spacingchild developmentcognitive developmentearly childhoodinterpregnancy intervalschool readiness

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