Homicide: a leading cause of injury deaths among pregnant and postpartum women in the United States, 1991-1999.
OBJECTIVE
We identified risk factors for pregnancy-associated homicide (women who died as a result of homicide during or within 1 year of pregnancy) in the United States from 1991 to 1999.


METHODS
Pregnancy-associated homicides were analyzed with data from the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.


RESULTS
Six hundred seventeen (8.4%) homicide deaths were reported to the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System. The pregnancy-associated homicide ratio was 1.7 per 100000 live births. Risk factors included age younger than 20 years, Black race, and late or no prenatal care. Firearms were the leading mechanism for homicide (56.6%).


CONCLUSIONS
Homicide is a leading cause of pregnancy-associated injury deaths.
Chang
Jeani
J
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mail Stop K-21, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, USA. jchang@cdc.gov
Berg
Cynthia J
CJ
Saltzman
Linda E
LE
Herndon
Joy
J
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017677:Age Distribution; D001719:Birth Certificates; D001722:Birth Order; D001723:Birth Rate / Q000639:trends; D002423:Cause of Death / Q000639:trends*; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D003644:Death Certificates; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006708:Homicide / Q000639:trends*; D006801:Humans; D017533:Marital Status / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008428:Maternal Mortality / Q000639:trends*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000401:mortality*; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000592:standards; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000401:mortality*; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality*
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