Pregnancy gap should be at least a year – researchers

Mothers should wait at least a year between giving birth and getting pregnant again to reduce health risks to mother and baby, a new study says.

But researchers say they need not wait as long as the 18 months recommended in the current World Health Organization guidelines.

Small gaps between pregnancies risk premature births, smaller babies and infant and mother mortality.

The researchers hope the findings will be “reassuring” for older women.