Intimate Partner Violence During Pregnancy

Effects on the Fetus
There are direct and indirect effects.

Some direct effects are:
*Spontaneous abortions
*Fetal trauma or death from maternal trauma
*Premature labor and stillbirth
*Low birth weight

Some indirect effects are:
*Increased stress for mother
*Smoking or increased smoking
*Alcohol or drug use or abuse
(Curry, Perin,& Wall, 1998)


SIGNS OF ABUSE
Physical Signs
Behavioural Signs of Mom
Single or multiple bruises Poor eye contact
Specific areas of injuries on mom, like abdomen, breasts and genitalia Low self-esteem or blames self
Multiple trauma sites at different stages of healing Cannot make decisions on her own
Injuries that appear untreated, like old fractures Denies the severity of injuries
History is inconsistent with injuries Feels that she makes him do it
Dental Problems, like fractured teeth or facial injuries Does not seek help when there are injuries or waits a long time before getting help
History of depression/alcohol abuse/drug abuse
(National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2003)


SIGNS OF ABUSER'S BEHAVIOUR
Answering all the questions for the mom
Being hostile or demanding
Always trying to stay by the mom
Monitoring all of the mom's answers to questions
(National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, 2003)


Barriers to Screening Intimate Partner Violence
Nurses' Barriers Mom's Barriers
*Time constraints *Embarrassment/shame
*Unable to talk to patient alone. Family is always present *Fear of retaliation by partner
*Discomfort with the topic *Lack of trust in others
*Fears of offending the patient or partner *Economic dependence
*Perceived powerlessness to change the problem *Desire to keep family together
*Unaware of alternatives
*Lack of support system

(McFarlane, Christoffel, Bateman, Miller & Bullock, 1991)
and (Gerbert et al, 1996)


References

Curry, M.A., Perin, N., & Wall, E. (1998) Effects of abuse on maternal complications and birth weight in adult and adolescent women. Obstet Gynecol, 92(8), 530-534

Gerbert, B., Johnston, K., Caspers, N., Bleecker, T., Woods, A. & Rosenbaum, A. (1996). Experiences of battered women in health care settings: a qualitative study. Women & Health 24(3), 1-17

McFarlane, J., Christoffel, K., Bateman, L., Miller, V., & Bullock, L. (1991). Assessing for abuse: self-report versus nurse interview. Public Health Nurse, 8 (4), 245-250.

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2003). Intimate partner violence. Retrieved November 25, 2003, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/ipvfacts.htm


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Compiled by Cindy Lam