Physical abuse during pregnancy and preterm delivery

Objective This study was undertaken to assess the relationship between physical abuse during pregnancy and preterm delivery. Study Design We conducted a hospital-based survey on physical abuse during pregnancy, which included 2660 women with consecutive live births. Women were interviewed and violence was assessed using the Abuse Assessment Screen. Data on sociodemographic, behavioral, and obstetric variables were also obtained. Mothers of preterm ( Results Twenty-four percent of mothers of preterm newborn infants had experienced physical abuse during pregnancy compared with 8% of mothers of term newborn infants ( P Conclusion Women who have had physical abuse during pregnancy present a large increase in the risk of preterm delivery, independently from a large set of sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics usually recognized as determinants of preterm birth.