Battered and pregnant: a prevalence study
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
We interviewed 290 pregnant women randomly selected from public and private prenatal clinics, 80 per cent of whom were at least five months pregnant (ages 18-43, 42 per cent Latino, 22 per cent Black). Twenty-four women reported physical battering during this pregnancy (44 reported physical battering before the current pregnancy). Eight of the 24 pregnant women had sought medical treatment for injuries sustained; none reported having been assessed by prenatal care providers for abuse.
We interviewed 290 pregnant women randomly selected from public and private prenatal clinics, 80 per cent of whom were at least five months pregnant (ages 18-43, 42 per cent Latino, 22 per cent Black). Twenty-four women reported physical battering during this pregnancy (44 reported physical battering before the current pregnancy). Eight of the 24 pregnant women had sought medical treatment for injuries sustained; none reported having been assessed by prenatal care providers for abuse.

