Type:	Journal Article
Title:	Pregnancy and domestic violence: a review of the literature
Other Titles:	Trauma, violence & abuse
Authors:	Jasinski, Jana L
Keywords:	Risk factors;Health;Pregnancy
Year:	2004
Publisher:	Sage Publications
Citation:	5 (1), January 2004
Notes:	General Overview: This article presents findings of a meta analysis of US research regarding pregnancy and domestic violence since 1996, when the last comprehensive review was undertaken by Gazmararian et al. Objective:The purpose of the review was to analyse interdisciplinary, empirical research on pregnancy related violence, in order to present a clearer picture of this relationship, recognising that it is often difficult to determine its nature. In doing this, the author intended to provide future directions for researchers and practitioners. Discussion:The paper acknowledges the difficulty in comparing studies because they make use of different terminology, methodology and instruments. This in turn makes it difficult to provide reliable information for practitioners. A key contentious issue is prevalence of violence during pregnancy. Gazmararian's review found that prevalence figures ranged between 0.9% and 20.1%. This paper presents findings of various studies but concludes that it is extremely difficult to provide reliable statistics due to different samples, definitions of violence and assessments used. The review sought to determine if pregnant women at greater risk of violence than non-pregnant women. It found that much of the research does not compare its subjects with a sample of non-pregnant or random women, making estimates difficult. It concludes that available evidence does not suggest that being pregnant increases a woman's risk of domestic violence but none of these studies found that a woman's risk decreases either. In terms of ethnicity and pregnancy-linked abuse, the research appears inconclusive regarding a causal link. Some studies showed that pregnancy provided respite from violence while in others the level of violence escalated. Risk factors for commencement or increase in violence during pregnancy included lower socio-economic status, male partner not wanting the pregnancy, youth, other stressful events coinciding with pregnancy and women having lower levels of social support. The article outlines key consequences of pregnancy related violence. Studies have found a consistent correlation with fetal trauma. Abused women are more likely to smoke, drink and use other drugs during pregnancy. Abused mothers were also more likely to have a bad diet, suffer depression, have difficulty breastfeeding, experience an elevated risk of kidney problems, have poor self esteem, poor weight-gain, anemia and bleeding. There are generally consistent findings linking violence during pregnancy to late entry into pre-natal care low birth weight or premature labor, although in the case of the latter there appears to have been an increase where more serious violence is evident. The paper suggests that future research consider more ethnically diverse samples and a multidisciplinary approach. Direct screening for domestic violence is considered important, particularly asking about stressors that may also increase the risk of violence. The paper recommends providing information and follow-up, including referrals, and training doctors about these issues. Conclusion: Violence poses serious consequences for both the mother and child, even if there is no increase in violence during pregnancy. The research suggests that doctors are not sufficiently confident in their screening ability and this needs to be addressed through training and the provision of information.
URI:	https://anrows.intersearch.com.au/anrowsjspui/handle/1/16259
ISSN:	1524-8380
Appears in Collections:	Journal Articles

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