The effects of physical abuse on pregnancy outcomes in a low-risk obstetric population,

Objective: This study was undertaken to evaluate the impact of physical abuse on pregnancy outcomes. Study Design: This prospective investigation identified all women seen in the outpatient obstetric clinic with a history of physical abuse and matched each with the next 2 women seen without a history of physical abuse (case/control ratio, 1:2). Results: Twenty-eight abused women were matched with 56 control subjects. The frequencies of preterm birth, mode of delivery, Apgar scores <7 at 5 minutes, umbilical artery pH <7.10 at birth, and unhappy or ambivalent feelings about the pregnancy were not statistically different between the 2 groups. Admission to the neonatal intensive care unit was more common among infants of the abused women (n = 4 [14.2%] vs n = 2 [3.6%]), despite heavier birth weights in the abused group (3501 ± 581 g vs 3200 ± 549 g; P = .023), but this trend did not reach significance. Conclusion: A history of physical abuse did not result in adverse pregnancy outcomes, although neonatal intensive care unit admission was more likely. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000;182:1067-9.)