fetal and neonatal impact of a short interpregnancy interval in moroccan pregnant women: a retrospective study

Background: 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. methods: 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). results: 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). conclusion: 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.