Domestic Violence

It can be easy even for health care providers to think that domestic violence is one thing they do not have to worry about during a woman’s pregnancy. Our own deeply held values about pregnancy and motherhood may mask the reality that pregnancy does not always protect a woman, and in some cases may actually precipitate or exacerbate domestic violence. Nearly 325,000 pregnant women in the United States each year experience violence from an intimate partner.

The consequences harm both the woman and her baby. A woman who is abused during pregnancy is more likely to have a miscarriage, infections, bleeding, anemia, and other health problems. Clinical issues related to domestic violence include depression, eating and sleep disorders, substance abuse, self-neglect, suicide attempts, and poor adherence to medical recommendations. She is twice as likely to have a low-birth-weight baby.

Physicians can help break the cycle of violence by following a simple protocol recommended by The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). If a woman is experiencing domestic violence, you can refer her to one of these sources of support.

The “Danger Assessment Tool” – developed by Johns Hopkins to assist in evaluating women at risk from domestic violence – can be of assistance in identifying women who may be at risk.