Physical injuries reported on hospital visits for assault during the pregnancy-associated period

Violence is a recognized health risk to the mother, fetus, and infant during pregnancy and first-year postpartum (pregnancy-associated period). Although homicide is a leading cause of injury death among pregnant and postpartum women, the continuum of violence-related physical injuries that women sustain during this period has not been studied systematically.

To describe the patterns of physical injuries reported on hospital visits for assault during pregnancy and the postpartum period for a population cohort of Massachusetts women.

Using a retrospective cohort design with linked Massachusetts natality and hospital data from 2001 through 2005, 1,468 women (0.9%) who had 1,675 hospital visits (emergency department, observation, and inpatient) for assault were identified. Of these visits, 1,528 visits had at least one physical injury diagnostic code (800-999) from the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Edition, Clinical Modification (ICD-9 CM). Applying a modified Barell injury diagnosis matrix that uses the ICD-9 CM injury codes, the first physical injury noted for each visit was classified by body region and nature of injury. Then, the distributions of physical injuries by body region and nature of injury during pregnancy, postpartum, and overall pregnancy-associated periods are described. Also listed are those physical injuries reported in more than 5% of hospital visits for assault during either pregnancy or postpartum period.

Of the 1,528 hospital visits for assault with physical injury, the head and neck were the most frequently injured body regions overall (42.2%). The percentage of torso injuries during pregnancy was more than twice that in the postpartum period (21.5% vs. 8.7%). The leading physical injury during both pregnancy (25.4%) and the postpartum (23.1%) period was superficial or contusion to the head and neck. Other common injuries differed by period.

Patterns of physical injuries reported on hospital visits for assault for a population cohort provide information that could prove helpful in intervention programs.