This policy brief presents the findings of a TCI study exploring the linkages between birth order, time between births, and relative height-for-age. According to the study, birth order affects height when births occur less than three years apart, with the height gap increasing between later-born children. When the time between births is three years or more, the height advantage of earlier-born children is insignificant.

Based on these results, TCI recommends that Indian policymakers:

• Promote sufficient birth spacing through family planning and other public health programs and policies.
• Integrate family-planning approaches into nutritional interventions.

Read the policy brief (PDF)