Effects of interpregnancy interval and outcome of the preceding pregnancy on pregnancy outcomes in Matlab, Bangladesh

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the effects on pregnancy outcomes of the duration of the preceding interpregnancy interval (IPI) and type of pregnancy outcome that began the interval. DESIGN: Observational population-based study. SETTING: The Maternal Child Health-Family Planning (MCH-FP) area of Matlab, Bangladesh. POPULATION: A total of 66,759 pregnancy outcomes that occurred between 1982 and 2002. METHODS: Bivariate tabulations and multinomial logistic regression analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pregnancy outcomes (live birth, stillbirth, miscarriage [spontaneous fetal loss prior to 28 weeks], and induced abortion). RESULTS: When socio-economic and demographic covariates are controlled, of the IPIs that began with a live birth, those < 6 months in duration were associated with a 7.5-fold increase in the odds of an induced abortion (95% CI 6.0-9.4),…