The matter in summary New research has studied over 650,000 women in Norway who have given birth to at least two children in the last fifty years. The study shows that very frequent pregnancies lead to the second child having an increased birth weight, which is positive for future health. The study shows that an interval of six months between birth and new pregnancy is the best, biologically speaking. A long interval between pregnancies, for example over five years, is less favorable and can increase the risk of complications. The research suggests that there may be a biological memory for being pregnant, which is most effective after a short interval. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. In the heart of a farm in Årnes in Akershus, where the road ends, the family of four lives. Mum Silje, dad Lars and daughters Lilja Sofie (3) and Tuva Emine (2). – It’s a high level, says Silje (37) with a smile. The siblings sit around the table with modeling clay. Small lumps fly in all directions, some go in the mouth, others on the floor. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news The sisters have just returned home from the kindergarten they both attend. Lilja Sofie says that she usually takes her little sister cycling and playing. – Seeing the joy between them… Considering the age they are now, I can only imagine what it will be like when it gets a little bigger, says mum Silje. She became pregnant 14 months after she gave birth to Lilja Sofie. Now completely new research shows that having dense children can be the very best thing. Anne Eskild is a senior doctor at the women’s clinic at Ahus, and a professor at UiO. She has led the study that has researched of over 650,000 Norwegian women who have given birth to at least two children in the last fifty years. They found this out from Birth weight increases from first to second child. What the research group has discovered is that the birth weight of children number two increases the most with a short stay between pregnancies. And since birth weight is closely linked to future health, the researchers conclude that a short interval is good. – In any case, dense pregnancies are not dangerous, explains senior physician and professor Anne Eskild. It has been believed that. The World Health Organization (WHO) advises women to wait at least two years between pregnancies. You don’t need to, argues the research group. Anne Eskild is a senior physician at the women’s clinic at Akershus University Hospital, and a professor at the Department of Clinical Medicine at UiO. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news Anne Eskild believes that WHO’s advice is based on research done in countries where women are not as well off as here in Norway. – The women who give birth closely may also be the ones at the highest risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. They may be poor and malnourished, and unable to care for themselves and the child. But in Norway, where maternity care is free and available, and where people are mainly in good health, the situation is different, says Eskild. Facts about the research In total, they have researched 654,100 women, which are all women in Norway with at least two births in the years 1970 to 2019. They have used data from the Medical Birth Register. This register has information on all births in Norway after the sixteenth week of pregnancy. In this research, they have narrowed the sample to all births in the 22nd week of pregnancy or later. All women giving birth for the first time were followed for at least ten years in order for a new birth to occur. Certain things can affect the results, such as the woman’s weight or socio-economic status. These factors are not included in the data analyses. The research project is funded by Helse Sør-East RHF, and is a collaboration between the Women’s Clinic at Ahus and researchers at the University of Oslo, Faculty of Dentistry. – Six months is best Not only does the new Norwegian research show that a short interval between birth and new pregnancy is good – it should preferably be very short. Six months is the best, according to the study. – It may be very dense for many, but at least there is nothing in the way of it biologically, says research leader Anne Eskild. At Ahus, an average of 13 children are born every day. Here, midwives Noémia and Yudayah are ready to give birth. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news They have also seen that a long interval between pregnancies, for example over five years, is less favorable. If you wait too long, the risk is the same as with a first pregnancy. – Then the birth weight increases less, and there is an increased risk of complications, such as preeclampsia, says the senior doctor. What do you think is the ideal distance between children? 1-2 years 2-3 years 3-4 years 4 years or more Show result Fertility decreases with age – Fertility decreases with age. For some women, having a child is more important than having to follow the advice to have a gap between pregnancies. She points out that many women today have children late. – Maybe you want two or more children. For first-time mothers who are 35 or older, it may not be very appropriate to wait at least two years before trying to conceive again. – If women know that it can be an advantage and safe to have children close, perhaps more will choose it. For all of Norway, the average mother’s age at first birth is 30.3 years. See the average at county level here: Previous Norwegian research also shows that the recurrence risk for miscarriage and stillbirth is lower if there is a short interval between pregnancies, according to the senior doctor. – There is no reason to delay pregnancy because of risk to the child. But you have to be physically and mentally fit for it, she emphasizes. The table shows how many boys and girls have been born at Ahus so far this year. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news Traveled but nice For the pair of siblings in Årnes, there is a difference in age of 23 months – almost two years. They therefore do not fall under the shortest interval, but the parents still notice that they are close in age. – It has been both challenging and enjoyable. Now we have one who is in the middle of the fight, and another who is very motherly, says Silje. – It’s a bit about how much attention you can give to each, and the age they are in now is the one that requires the most. Lilja Sofie was born in January 2021. In December 2022, she had her little sister Tuva Emine. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news But Silje emphasizes that she mostly sees the positives of having two children close in age. Especially since her journey towards successful pregnancies has been long, painful and tortuous. After twelve miscarriages, doctors discovered that her uterus developed blood clots during pregnancy, she says. She was given blood thinners, and then it finally worked – twice in a row. – It has been a tough journey, but I wouldn’t have been without it. Remember the body? The birth weight of the next child increases the most the shorter the time that has passed since a previous pregnancy. But why is that so? – There can be many reasons, says Anne Eskild. One explanation could be that those who become pregnant shortly after a pregnancy are very fertile, and that very fertile women have successful pregnancies. In the whole of 2023, 51,980 children were born in Norway. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news But they also have another hypothesis, she says. – What we have begun to wonder about is that there may be a biological memory for being pregnant. That the female body remembers what it is like to make a placenta and a child, and that this memory is best after a short interval. Eskild emphasizes that they do not encourage anyone to get pregnant quickly. But if one does, the message is that it is not dangerous for either the child or the mother with pregnancies close together. – Women must choose for themselves what they want and what they feel for. But there is no medical basis for waiting with a pregnancy, points out the superior. Photo: Hallgeir Braastad / news Hi! I’m a journalist at news Stor-Oslo. Do you or someone you know have a story that should be told and shared with others? Or maybe you have a news tip? Please feel free to contact me. Published 31.10.2024, at 06.00
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Silje had two children right after each other. Now research shows that it may be the very best – Greater Oslo
