skip to content, health centers and clinics, search, accessibility statement
Newsroom,    About Us,    Careers,    Employees,    Provider Information,    Contact Us,
CCH

Possible Problems of Short Birth Spacing


Problems that could happen with the baby, because of short birth spacing:

  • Low birth weight
    • Definition: baby weighing less than 5lbs. 8oz. (2500 grams) at birth
    • Problems associated with low birth weight: baby's immune system doesn't work as well (therefore more likely to get sick), mental disabilities, and even death.
  • Small for gestational age (small for the number of weeks of pregnancy)
    • This means the baby is smaller than the expected size for weeks of pregnancy.
    • Babies tend to have a condition called intrauterine growth restriction, and this is when the fetus is not growing and developing at the expected rate during pregnancy. The most common reason for this is a problem with the placenta.
  • Pre-term/Premature birth
    • Definition: a baby born before the 37th week of pregnancy.
    • A premature baby may have problems because the baby's organs didn't have enough time to develop and may not be ready to function on their own.
    • Pre-term babies can be at risk for breathing problems, immune system problems, infections, mental disabilities, cerebral palsy, vision and hearing loss, and even death.
    • Pre-term birth is one of the top causes of infant death in the United States.
    • For more information about premature babies click here.

Problems that could happen with Mom because of short birth spacing:

  • Pre-term labor
    • Definition: labor that begins before the 37th week of pregnancy.
    • Other things that increase the risk for pre-term labor are smoking, drinking alcohol, drug use, not eat healthy foods, vaginal/cervical/or urinary tract infections, pregnancies with twins/triplets (or more), high blood pressure, and diabetes.
  • Uterine rupture
    • Definition: a tear through the uterus.
    • Other factors that increase the risk for uterine rupture are scars from previous cesarean section, multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets), the fetus being positioned in a way that isn't normal, and use of pitocin (a medicine used during labor to make the mom have contractions).
  • Third trimester bleeding
    • Always consult your health care provider with any bleeding during pregnancy. Sometimes bleeding can be considered normal, but it could also be because of problems with the cervix or placenta.
  • Mental health issues
    • Short birth spacing also makes moms more likely to have Postpartum Depression.
    • Short birth spacing has been shown to increase Mom's stress level about parenting her children.