Physical abuse and low birthweight: a case-control study.
OBJECTIVE
To examine whether physical abuse of a woman by her partner was associated with low birthweight.


METHODS
A case-control study.


METHODS
Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway. PARTICIPANTS/SAMPLE: Eighty-six women who were delivered of a low birthweight (< 2500 g) infant (cases) and 92 women who were delivered of an infant with birthweight > or = 2500 g (controls).


METHODS
An in-depth interview, either postpartum at the maternity ward or one year after delivery. Information about abuse was obtained by direct questioning and a modified version of the Conflict Tactics Scales.


RESULTS
A total of 17% of the women had experienced abuse by a partner. While 7% had been abused by their current partner before the index pregnancy only one woman reported abuse during pregnancy. Relatively more mothers of low birthweight infants were abused (20%) compared with controls (15%), but the association was not statistically significant (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.63-2.99). Abused women reported a higher consumption of alcohol and cigarettes in pregnancy compared with nonabused women.


CONCLUSIONS
Abuse was not found to be a risk factor for low birthweight in this study.
Grimstad
H
H
Department of Community Medicine and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim.
Schei
B
B
Backe
B
B
Jacobsen
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007230:Infant, Low Birth Weight; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000523:psychology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013179:Spouse Abuse; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology