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CHILD SPACING AND CHILD MORTALITY

Monday, 27th of July 2015

CHILD SPACING AND CHILD MORTALITY

Author: Hobcraft J

Source: [Unpublished] 1991. Presented at the Demographic and Health Surveys World Conference, Washington, D.C., August 5-7, 1991. 14, [11] p.

Abstract: 

The relative importance of the child survival strategies of postponing childbearing until the age of 18 years and spacing births at least 2 years apart was investigated through the use of data from 25 Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) conducted in 1986-89. On average, the DHS surveys revealed a 46% excess in child mortality for births to women under 18 years of age and a 16% excess mortality among children born to mothers 18-19 years of age. In terms of the preceding birth interval, the surveys indicate that children born within 18 months of a previous birth are more than twice as likely to die before 5 years of age and those born after 18-23 months are a third more likely to die than those born after an interval of 24-47 months. 35% of the births recorded in the 25 DHSs were associated with birth intervals under 2 years. However, in Brazil, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador, Peru, Egypt, and Tunisia, this statistic exceeded 40%. An analysis by broad risk groups showed an approximate doubling of the risk of child mortality among children in the high risk group (poorly spaced births to teenage mothers) compared to those in the low risk group (1st births to mothers at ages 20-34 years and subsequent birth intervals of more than 2 years). In Brazil and Egypt, however, this excess mortality risk was tripled. When World Fertility Survey data from these countries for earlier periods were examined, there was no evidence of substantial decreases over time in the prevalence of these risk factors. Needed is a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in creating these high risk births and a greater emphasis on the health rather than population control rationale for family planning.