Mechanisms of reproductive compensation in populations with different types of reproduction

Reproductive compensation mechanisms have been studied in two populations with different reproductive behaviour. In populations with natural reproductive behaviour mechanism of reproductive compensation was shown to be the shortening of the mean intergenetic interval in the female group having excessive (as compared with the mean population value) failures in their pregnancy outcomes (spontaneous abortions, still-births, prereproductive age deaths of children). In family planning populations, however, reproductive compensation mechanisms are: deliberate shortening of the intergenetic interval after pregnancy failure only and deliberate prolongation of actual reproduction. In family planning populations the proportion of females bearing at over 35 was shown to double, due to reproductive compensation.