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.