Birth Outcomes in Relation to Intimate Partner Violence

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Public Health
• Perinatal Research

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a prevalent issue with significant public health implications.
• Existing research on the association between IPV and birth outcomes presents conflicting findings.
• This study aims to clarify the impact of IPV on adverse birth outcomes in pregnant women.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between intimate partner violence (IPV) and specific birth outcomes in a cohort of pregnant women.
• To determine if IPV exposure during pregnancy increases the risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission.
• To provide evidence supporting the need for routine IPV screening in prenatal care.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study design analyzing data from 1542 pregnant women.
• IPV identification using the HITS (Hit, Insult, Threaten, and Scream) screening tool (score ≥ 10).
• Birth outcomes assessed included preterm delivery (<37 weeks), low birth weight (<2500 g), and NICU admission.

Main Results:

• The prevalence of IPV among pregnant women in the study was 7.5%.
• Women experiencing IPV were significantly more likely to have preterm deliveries (18.3% vs. 10.3%) and their infants were more likely to have low birth weight (21.5% vs. 11.0%) and require NICU care (23.4% vs. 7.8%).
• Multivariate analyses confirmed increased odds for preterm delivery (OR=1.72), low birth weight (OR=2.03), and NICU admission (OR=4.04) in infants of mothers experiencing IPV.

Conclusions:

• Pregnant women exposed to intimate partner violence experience poorer birth outcomes compared to non-abused women.
• Healthcare providers require training for effective IPV screening and identification during prenatal care.
• Developing and implementing interventions to reduce and prevent IPV is essential for improving maternal and child health outcomes.