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Physical abuse and low birthweight: a case‐control study
Author(s) -
Grimstad Hilde,
Schei Berit,
Backe Bjørn,
Jacobsen Geir
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
bjog: an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.157
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1471-0528
pISSN - 1470-0328
DOI - 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1997.tb10975.x
Subject(s) - medicine , pregnancy , physical abuse , obstetrics , alcohol consumption , child abuse , psychiatry , poison control , suicide prevention , environmental health , alcohol , genetics , biology , biochemistry , chemistry
Objective To examine whether physical abuse of a woman by her partner was associated with low birthweight. Design A case—control study. Setting Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway. Participants/sample Eighty‐six women who were delivered of a low birthweight (< 2500 g) infant (cases) and 92 women who were delivered of an infant with birthweight 2500 g (controls). Methods An in‐depth interview, either postpartum at the maternity ward or one year after delivery. Information about abuse was obtained by direct questioning and a modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scales. Results A total of 17% of the women had experienced abuse by a partner. While 7% had been abused by their current partner before the index pregnancy only one woman reported abuse during pregnancy. Relatively more mothers of low birthweight infants were abused (20%) compared with controls (15%), but the association was not statistically significant (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.63–2.99). Abused women reported a higher consumption of alcohol and cigarettes in pregnancy compared with nonabused women. Conclusion Abuse was not found to be a risk factor for low birthweight in this study.