Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy And Maternal And Neonatal Health Among Hispanic Women

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence and the effect of intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy on maternal and neonatal health outcomes among Hispanics.STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Hispanic women who delivered at a Houston hospital between January 2011 and October 2012; 613 women completed self-administered questionnaires in the postpartum window prior to discharge. Indices of maternal and neonatal health were compared between women with and without reports of IPV during the most recent pregnancy.RESULTS: Approximately 11% of the surveyed population reported having experienced IPV during the most recent pregnancy. Among non?U.S. born participants, women who experienced IPV reported longer U.S. stay (11.4 +/- 7.3 years) as compared to women who did not (9.2 +/- 6.3 years). They were more likely to be unhappy about their pregnancy and to have evidence of depres-sion. Reported IPV was also associated with later initiation of prenatal care, a greater likelihood of delivery before 34 weeks' gestational age, lower infant birth weight, and lower likelihood of planning to breastfeed beyond 12 months (aOR 0.43, CI 0.21-0.83; p=0.02).CONCLUSION: IPV during pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal and neonatal health outcomes. Prenatal programs should assess Hispanic women for IPV during pregnancy with the goal of mitigating its long-term health consequences.