Having babies less than a year apart 'poses risks for mother and child'

Study of nearly 150,000 pregnancies in Canada finds the safest interval between births is 12 to 18 months

Having babies less than a year apart poses risks for both mother and child, whatever the woman's age, according to new research.

The authors of a big study of nearly 150,000 pregnancies in Canada say the safest interval between births is 12 to 18 months. They suggest women over the age of 35 who may not want to wait long between one pregnancy and the next should be counselled that waiting 12 to 18 months is safest for both them and their baby.