Complications during pregnancy, peri- and postnatal period in a sample of women with a history of child abuse

Abstract

Background. As a proposed risk factor for infant and child development, maternal history of abuse has been a frequent target of investigation. However, there have been no controlled studies about the impact of maternal history of abuse on the medical course of pregnancy, the peri- and postnatal period.

Method. All women with a newborn child were contacted by mail and presented with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The index group (n = 58) was formed by women who scored above the cutoff for moderate or severe abuse and compared to a control group (n = 60) with regard to pre,- peri-, and postnatal complications as documented in the patient charts.

Results. The results show that women with a history of abuse have significantly more prenatal medical complications and infant medical complications in the post- but not perinatal period.

Conclusions. Maternal history of abuse significantly impacts the medical course of delivery and the puerperium. Given the prevalence of abusive experiences, this finding is highly relevant from a preventive point of view.

Keywords:

• Pregnancy
• birth
• puerperium
• sexual abuse
• physical abuse
• infant mental health