Editing Infant mortality (section)

====Birth spacing====
[[File:Total Fertility Rate Map by Country.svg|thumb|right|upright=1.35|Map of countries by fertility rate, according to the [[Population Reference Bureau]]]]
Birth spacing is the time between births. Births spaced at least three years apart are associated with the lowest rate of mortality. The longer the interval between births, the lower the risk of having complications at birth, or of infant, childhood, or [[maternal mortality]].<ref name="Norton" /><ref name="Rutstein">{{Cite journal |vauthors=Rutstein SO |date=April 2005 |title=Effects of preceding birth intervals on neonatal, infant and under-five years mortality and nutritional status in developing countries: evidence from the demographic and health surveys |journal=International Journal of Gynaecology and Obstetrics |volume=89 |issue=Suppl 1 |pages=S7-24 |doi=10.1016/j.ijgo.2004.11.012 |pmid=15820369 |s2cid=37743580}}</ref> Conception less than six months after a birth, abortion, or miscarriage is associated with higher rates of preterm births and low birth weight, and also increases the chances of [[Chronic condition|chronic]] and general undernutrition. In 55 developing countries 57% of reported pregnancies had birth spaces of less than three years, and 26% of less than two years. While only 20% of new parents report wanting another birth within two years, only 40% are taking steps like [[family planning]] to achieve this.<ref name="Norton" />

Unplanned pregnancies and birth intervals of less than twenty-four months are known to correlate with low birth weights and delivery complications. Also, mothers who are already small in stature tend to deliver smaller than average babies, perpetuating a cycle of being [[underweight]].<ref name="Andrews" /><ref name="Norton" /><ref name="Rutstein" />