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EDITORIAL
Open Access

Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancy: Reducing Mortality Among Women and Their Children

Ellen Starbird and Kathryn Crawford
Global Health: Science and Practice August 2019, 7(Supplement 2):S211-S214; https://doi.org/10.9745/GHSP-D-19-00262
Ellen Starbird
aOffice of Population and Reproductive Health, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington, DC, USA.
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  • For correspondence: estarbird@usaid.gov
Kathryn Crawford
bMaternal and Child Health and Nutrition Office, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Washington, DC, USA.
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Accessible, affordable, and high-quality postabortion care (PAC) can prevent maternal death and disability and provides an important opportunity to prevent future unintended pregnancies. This supplement offers learnings on PAC provision from the community of partners around the world, including service delivery and community engagement models, approaches to support facility-based providers, best practices in pre- and post-procedure counseling, and approaches to institutionalize PAC in public- and private-sector health systems.

Research from around the world shows that the length of the interval between a woman’s birth and her next pregnancy directly relates to the risk of infant, child, and maternal mortality.1–3 In summary, the shorter the birth-to-pregnancy interval, the higher the risk to women and their children. In addition, pregnancies that are too closely spaced or that occur among adolescents younger than 18 also carry with them a higher risk of preterm birth and low birth weight for infants, as well as maternal pregnancy- and birth-related complications, such as anemia and obstetric fistula.

Three evidence-based global recommendations for healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy can lead to significantly improved maternal and child health outcomes:

  • Women should delay their first pregnancy until at least age 18.

  • After a live birth, women should wait at least 24 months before attempting the next pregnancy to reduce health risks for the mother and the baby.

  • After a miscarriage or induced abortion, women should wait at least 6 months before attempting the next pregnancy to reduce health risks for the mother and baby.

SYNERGIES BETWEEN SUPPORT FOR POSTABORTION FAMILY PLANNING AND POSTPARTUM FAMILY PLANNING

Over much of the same period that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has supported postabortion care (PAC) programs, USAID has also supported efforts to strengthen voluntary postpartum family planning by better understanding women’s needs and current practices in the extended postpartum period; raising awareness about postpartum fertility, …

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Global Health: Science and Practice: 7 (Supplement 2)
Global Health: Science and Practice
Vol. 7, No. Supplement 2
August 22, 2019
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Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancy: Reducing Mortality Among Women and Their Children
Ellen Starbird, Kathryn Crawford
Global Health: Science and Practice Aug 2019, 7 (Supplement 2) S211-S214; DOI: 10.9745/GHSP-D-19-00262

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Healthy Timing and Spacing of Pregnancy: Reducing Mortality Among Women and Their Children
Ellen Starbird, Kathryn Crawford
Global Health: Science and Practice Aug 2019, 7 (Supplement 2) S211-S214; DOI: 10.9745/GHSP-D-19-00262
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  • Article
    • SYNERGIES BETWEEN SUPPORT FOR POSTABORTION FAMILY PLANNING AND POSTPARTUM FAMILY PLANNING
    • USAID’S SUPPORT FOR POSTABORTION CARE: SAVING WOMEN’S LIVES
    • POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS GOVERNING USAID’S POSTABORTION CARE PROGRAMMING
    • DOCUMENTING AND SHARING EXPERIENCES IN POSTABORTION CARE
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Subjects

  • Health Topics
    • Postabortion Care
    • Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health
US AIDJohns Hopkins Center for Communication ProgramsUniversity of Alberta

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