Postpartum Family Planning Annotated Bibliography 2008–2013

Research has shown that short interpregnancy intervals (IPI) are linked to increased risks of low birth weight and preterm labor. A study conducted in Sudan found that women with IPI shorter than 18 months had a higher risk of low birth weight (odds ratio = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.0-3.5, P = 0.04) and preterm labor (odds ratio = 2.3, 95% CI = 1.1-4.7, P = 0.01). In Bangladesh, a life table approach was used to investigate the relationship between birth spacing and child survival. The study found that the probability of child survival was lower when the preceding birth interval was less than 12 months, and it may also be impeded by a higher birth interval. Child survival probability was highest for a preceding birth interval of 5 years, and thereafter, the probability declined. Logistic regression models showed that preceding birth interval was an important and strongly significant factor in explaining infant and child mortality. A cross-sectional study in Brazil evaluated the association between inter-pregnancy interval and the occurrence of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. The study found that short intervals (<6 months) were associated with a greater risk of low birth weight (odds ratio: 1.74; 95% confidence interval: 1.18-2.55) and preterm birth (1.56; 1.01-2.46). On the other hand, long intervals were significantly associated with fewer C-sections (0.69; 0.56-0.82) and a greater risk of premature rupture of membranes (PROM) (1.57; 1.20-2.06) and low birth weight (1.46; 1.03-2.06). A systematic review of causal mechanisms found that birth spacing affects maternal, perinatal, infant, and child health through various pathways, including the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth, and infant mortality. The review highlighted the importance of optimal birth spacing intervals in reducing the risk of adverse outcomes and improving health outcomes for mothers and their children. The literature on birth spacing has been reorganized for this edition, and a new category for prenatal and newborn health has been added. The literature categories are described in the following table. Categories # of Studies Pages 1. Birth Spacing 30 1–13 2. Community- and Facility-Inclusive Intervention Studies 31 14–27 3. Descriptive Studies 42 28–48 4. Family Planning Integration 7 49–53 5. HIV and Family Planning: Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission 36 54–73 6. LAM [Lactational Amenorrhea Method] and Breastfeeding with Contraception 46 74–96 7. Postpartum Family Planning in Special Populations 15 97–104 8. Postpartum IUD and Permanent Contraception 22 105–116 9. Prenatal and Newborn Health 17 117–125 10. Progestin-Only Contraception 8 126–130 11. Program Approach and Other Postpartum Contraception 20 131–140 12. Return to Fertility 5 141–143 The literature review began with a search on Medline (2010–March 2014) using the following keywords: family planning services, family planning policy, contraception, birth intervals, prenatal care, postnatal care, postpartum period, maternal-child health, immunizations, and breastfeeding. This search was then repeated on CINAHL (a database for nursing and allied health) and EMBASE (a database of biomedical and pharmacological literature). Next, the reference lists of the selected articles were examined for appropriate articles that had not been captured with previous searches or by the 2011 version. The Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) is a global U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) cooperative agreement that aims to introduce and support high-impact health interventions in 24 priority countries. MCSP supports programming in maternal, newborn, and child health, immunization, family planning, and reproductive health, among other areas. The program focuses on health systems strengthening, household and community mobilization, gender integration, and eHealth, among other approaches. The MCSP program has been instrumental in promoting postpartum family planning, with a focus on providing women with access to contraceptive information and services during the postpartum period. The program has also emphasized the importance of optimal birth spacing intervals in reducing the risk of adverse outcomes and improving health outcomes for mothers and their children. The literature on postpartum family planning has been reorganized