Birth Spacing and Its Effect on Fertility & Child Survival in Bangladesh

M. Nurul Islam, University of Dhaka
Salehin Khan Chowdhury, Daffodil International University

Birth spacing is an important measure of the pace of child bearing. Differentials in fertility in a population are usually attributed to variation in the exposure to the risk of pregnancy and the interval between births when exposed. Hence for a complete understanding of the process of family building, an attempt has been made in the present study to analyze the birth spacing pattern, its differentials, covariates and quantum and tempo of fertility in Bangladesh. This study also examines the influence of birth spacing on child survival. The data used for the completion of this work is extracted from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) conducted in 1999-2000. The results clearly indicate that, the quantum of fertility is very high in Bangladesh. Gender preferences, particularly son preferences also exist in Bangladesh. Our analysis demonstrates that shorter birth interval has significant influence on child survival in Bangladesh.