Abstract:

The World Health Organization€™s Recommendations for Birth Spacing: - After a live birth, the recommended interval before attempting the next pregnancy is at least 24 months in order to reduce the risk of adverse maternal, perinatal, and infant outcomes. - After a miscarriage, the recommended minimum interval to the next pregnancy should be at least six months in order to reduce risks of adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. The Bokklet -Health Birth Spacing in Jordan overarching four themes that run throughout : - First, there is a strong relationship between healthy birth spacing and the health of infants and children. - Second, the length of birth intervals in Jordan is very short. - Third, these short birth intervals will have a negative impact on the number of infant deaths in the future. - Finally, there are specific actions that can be taken to achieve healthy birth spacing. Conclusion€™s: - The majority of births here are still at intervals shorter than the three years that WHO recommends. Nearly one-third of all births are less than two years apart; one-fourth of all births are between two and three years apart. Overall, 58 percent of all births in Jordan are less than three years apart. - The Cumulative Results of Three Infant Mortality Scenarios If birth intervals in Jordan do not change, by 2040, 211,000 infant lives would be lost. - Taking Action for: Interventions in policy, education, and service delivery can close the gap between current birth intervals in Jordan and the intervals of three years or more that are clearly optimal for the health of women and children and the well-being of families and communities Policy: - Conduct advocacy with decisionmakers to gain their support of related policies and programs - Healthy birth spacing initiatives need the backing of decisionmakers. The first step is to build awareness among decisionmakers that healthy birth spacing has multiple and farreaching benefits. - Decision makers who understand healthy birth spacing are more likely to support programs and allocate resources to promote it Education - Married women need to be educated about the benefits of waiting at least two years before becoming pregnant again after a birth, as well as the health consequences of short birth intervals. Service Delivery - Jordan€™s healthcare services should incorporate counseling, family planning, and other measures to support healthy birth spacing. Recommendations: - Neonatal, infant, and child mortality rates in Jordan are closely associated with birth intervals. Extending birth intervals will save the lives of many infants and children. - Encouraging women to space births at least three years apart will improve maternal and child health and support healthy childhood development in Jordan