Physical abuse linked to premature births

Published: Feb. 26, 2008 at 7:56 PM

PORTO, Portugal, Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Researchers in Portugal said they have found a strong link between physical abuse during pregnancy and premature births.

The study, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, found 24 percent of mothers of premature newborn infants had experienced physical abuse during pregnancy compared with 8 percent of mothers of full-term newborn infants.

Violence was associated with preterm birth even after controlling for age, marital status, education, income, parity, planned pregnancy, antenatal care, smoking, alcohol and illicit drugs use.

Using the Abuse Assessment Screen questionnaire, researchers from the University of Porto Medical School and the Hospital S. Joao in Porto, Portugal, surveyed 2,660 Caucasian mothers of newborns at the hospital to assess their experiences during pregnancy.

"The main strengths of this study are its large sample size; the high participation rate; the inclusion of women from virtually all social and economic strata and a broad range of pregnancy and delivery risk profiles," study co-author Dr. Teresa Rodrigues said in a statement. "Assessment of violence exposure took place with guaranteed privacy, through face-to-face interviews that used highly trained personnel."

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
Canada posts trade surplus in October (1 min)
BOE, Swiss, leave lending rates unchanged (4 min)
AT&T exec links data load to fees (18 min)
U.S. markets lift with BOE rate unchanged (26 min)
Mixed doubles tennis set for 2012 Olympics (28 min)
Jobless claims up 17,000 in week
Crude oil prices rebound slightly
fark
Simply the coolest underwater pictures you'll see today, in more ways than one
UPS truck skids on snowy road - into the path of an oncoming train. Fortunately, uniform pants were...
Photoshop this newly unendangered Brown Pelican
Dartmouth's obscene heckling of Harvard at a recent squash match is wrinkling up sweater vests throughout...
"The truth is that there are millions of American men who find older women attractive, and we will...
A Boy Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, merciless to POWs, obedient,...