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Related Experiment Videos

Foetal abuse.

Paula Fernandez Arias1,2, Keiko Yoshida3, Ian F Brockington4

  • 1Society & Health Research Center (CISS), Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile. paula.fernandez@umayor.cl.

Archives of Women'S Mental Health
|October 26, 2018
PubMed
Summary

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Mothers may harm their unborn children through physical assaults, challenging the idealized view of motherhood. Factors like unplanned pregnancies and mental health issues may precede such fetal abuse.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Psychiatry
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Pregnancy and motherhood are commonly idealized as natural and unproblematic.
  • This perception overlooks instances of maternal violence towards the unborn child.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present cases of fetal abuse, defined as physical assaults on the fetus by the mother.
  • To examine how the 'good mother' myth may endanger mothers and fetuses.
  • To identify potential antecedents of fetal abuse.

Main Methods:

  • Presentation of six previously unpublished cases of fetal abuse.
  • Examination of the prevailing societal myth of the 'good mother'.

Main Results:

  • Fetal abuse involves direct physical harm inflicted by mothers on their fetuses.
Keywords:
Childhood abuseFoetal abuseMotherhoodNeonaticidePregnancyPregnancy denial

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  • Common antecedents may include unplanned pregnancies, maternal mental health issues, trauma, and pregnancy denial.
  • Ideation of harm correlated with fetal movements was also noted.

    • Conclusions:

    • Motherhood is not universally unproblematic, and fetal abuse is a serious concern.
    • The myth of the 'good mother' may obscure risks and endanger both mothers and fetuses.
    • Identifying risk factors is crucial for intervention and prevention strategies.