The influence of birth outcomes and pregnancy complications on interpregnancy interval: a quantile regression analysis

Abstract

To ascertain whether adverse pregnancy outcomes at first pregnancy influence subsequent interpregnancy intervals (IPIs) and whether the size of this effect varies with IPI distribution METHODS: We included 251,892 mothers who gave birth to their first two singletons in Western Australia, from 1980 to 2015. Using quantile regression, we investigated whether gestational diabetes, hypertension, or preeclampsia in the first pregnancy influenced IPI to subsequent pregnancy and whether effects were consistent across the IPI distribution. We considered intervals at the 25th centile of the distribution as 'short' and the 75th centile as 'long'. The average IPI was 26.6 mo. It was 0.56 mo(95% CI: 0.25-0.88 mo) and 1.12 mo(95% CI: 0.56 - 1.68 mo) longer after preeclampsia, and gestational hypertension respectively. There was insufficient evidence to suggest that the association between previous pregnancy complications and IPI differed by the extent of the interval. However, associations with marital status, race/ethnicity and stillbirth contributed to either shortening or prolonging IPIs differently across the distribution of IPI. Mothers with preeclampsia and gestational hypertension had slightly longer subsequent IPIs than mothers whose pregnancies were not complicated by these conditions. However, the extent of the delay was small (<2 mo).