Contrary to current advice, getting pregnant within a few months of an abortion or a miscarriage does not appear to be extra risky for the mum and baby, say researchers who have looked at recent real-life data.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least a six-month gap to give the woman time to recover.
However, a study in PLoS Medicine, analysing 72,000 conceptions, suggests couples might safely try sooner for a baby.
The baby loss support charity Tommy's says women who feel ready to try again immediately after a miscarriage should do so if there is no medical reason against it.
The WHO says more research into pregnancy spacing is already under way and would inform any future updates to the advice.
The research from Norway, spanning eight years from 2008 to 2016, found no major differences in outcomes when a new pregnancy happened sooner than a six-month delay.
That is a different finding to earlier work in Latin America that - along with other studies - informed the WHO recommendations on pregnancy spacing.
The authors of the latest Norwegian analysis say the advice needs reviewing so that couples can make an informed decision about when to try for a baby.
Source: BBC News, 23 November 2022
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