Intimate Partner Violence and Pregnancy and Infant Health Outcomes - Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System,...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Reproductive Health
• Sociomedical Sciences

Background:

• Intimate partner violence (IPV) encompasses emotional, physical, and sexual abuse, posing significant risks during pregnancy.
• IPV during pregnancy is a preventable factor contributing to maternal and infant morbidity and mortality.
• Negative short- and long-term consequences of IPV affect pregnant women, newborns, and families.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy and various maternal and infant health outcomes.
• To analyze the prevalence of different types of IPV experienced by pregnant women.
• To inform prevention and intervention strategies for IPV in pregnant populations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the 2016-2022 Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System across nine U.S. jurisdictions.
• Analyzed associations between self-reported IPV during pregnancy and outcomes including prenatal care, maternal health conditions, substance use, and infant birth characteristics.
• Categorized IPV into emotional, physical, and sexual types.

Main Results:

• Overall, 5.4% of women reported experiencing IPV during pregnancy, with emotional IPV being most common (5.2%).
• All forms of IPV were linked to delayed/no prenatal care, maternal depression, substance use (smoking, alcohol, marijuana, illicit drugs), and low infant birth weight.
• Physical and sexual IPV were associated with preterm birth, while physical IPV was also linked to pregnancy-related hypertension.

Conclusions:

• IPV during pregnancy is significantly associated with adverse maternal and infant health outcomes, including delayed care and increased health risks.
• Comprehensive, evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies targeting multiple forms of IPV are essential.
• Addressing IPV can improve pregnancy outcomes, reduce maternal depression and substance use, and mitigate adverse infant effects, supporting healthier families.