Reductions in birth-spacing can have detrimental effects on the mother, on her children and on population growth. Unfortunately, a lack of accurate birth date data in Papua New Guinea makes it difficult to obtain precise information on birth-spacing and its change. This paper reports an attempt to use data derived from Department of Health Baby Books to gauge birth-spacing and its changes over the period 1970-1987 among the Yangoru Boiken of the East Sepik Province. Although Yangoru Boiken society has changed considerably since World War II, the results reveal no significant change in birth spacing over this period.
Female ; Humans ; Medical Records ; Papua New Guinea ; Birth Intervals ; Child, Preschool ;