What are the risks of spacing pregnancies close together?

A pregnancy that starts within six months of a live birth has a higher risk of some health issues. But it's not clear from the research if pregnancy spacing is the cause of these concerns. They include:

• A baby being born before the 37th week of pregnancy, also called premature birth.
• Low birth weight for the baby.
• A baby being born with a health concern. These health concerns are called congenital disorders. Or sometimes they may be called birth defects.

For pregnant people, a pregnancy that starts within six months of a live birth raises the risk of anemia. In anemia, there isn't enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood to carry oxygen to the body's tissues.

Closely spaced pregnancies also might not give the body enough time to recover after a pregnancy. For example, pregnancy and breastfeeding can lower the body's store of some nutrients, especially folate and iron. If a pregnancy happens before those nutrients return to healthy levels, that could affect the health of both the pregnant person and the baby.