Partner violence during pregnancy and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Paediatr Perinat Epidemiol. 2004 Jul;18(4):260-9.

Partner violence during pregnancy and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Coker AL, Sanderson M, Dong B.

University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX 77225, USA.
acoker@sph.uth.tmc.edu

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the association 
between partner physical or emotional abuse during pregnancy and pregnancy 
outcomes including perinatal death, low birthweight and preterm delivery. 
Women, aged 18-65, who attended one of two large primary care practices from 
1997-98 were recruited for this study. Ever pregnant women were asked the 
frequency of abuse during each pregnancy and details of the pregnancy outcomes. 
Information regarding abuse during pregnancy and pregnancy outcomes was available 
for 755 women surveyed who reported a live birth or late fetal death, 14.7% 
indicated that an intimate partner was violent or abusive toward them during a 
pregnancy (274 of 1862 pregnancies). Abuse during pregnancy was significantly 
associated with an increased risk of perinatal death (adjusted relative risk 
[aRR] = 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3, 3.4) and, among live births, with 
preterm low birthweight (aRR = 2.4; 95% CI 1.5, 4.0) and term low birthweight 
(aRR = 1.9; 95% CI 1.0, 3.4). Greater abuse frequency was associated with 
increased risk. Abuse during pregnancy was associated with perinatal deaths and 
preterm low birthweight deliveries.

PMID: 15255879 [PubMed - in process]


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