Physical Abuse of Women Before, During, and After Pregnancy

Abstract

Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of physical abuse during the 12 months be- fore pregnancy, during pregnancy, and after infant delivery; injuries and medical in- terventions resulting from postpartum abuse; and patterns of abuse over time in re- lation to sociodemographic characteristics and use of well-baby care. Results The prevalence of abuse before pregnancy was 6.9% (95% confidence in- terval (CI), 5.6%-8.2%) compared with 6.1% (95% CI, 4.8%-7.4%) during preg- nancy and 3.2% (95% CI, 2.3%-4.1%) during a mean postpartum period of 3.6 months. Abuse during a previous period was strongly predictive of later abuse. Most women who were abused after pregnancy (77%) were injured, but only 23% received medi- cal treatment for their injuries. Virtually all abused and nonabused women used well- baby care; private physicians were the most common source of care. The mean num- ber of well-baby care visits did not differ significantly by maternal patterns of abuse. Conclusion Since well-baby care use is similar for abused and nonabused mothers, pediatric practices may be important settings for screening women for violence.