Psychologic intimate partner violence and the risk of intrauterine growth restriction in Rio de Janeiro.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether psychologic intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a risk factor for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).

METHODS

The cross-sectional study enrolled randomly selected mothers of infants younger than 5 months attending basic health services in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from January to July 2007. Psychologic and physical IPV were evaluated by the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale; IUGR was defined as below the 10th percentile of the Alexander curve. Socioeconomic status, housing conditions, stressful events, life habits, social support, and medical information were obtained by interview or from medical records. Multivariate hierarchical logistic regression models, taking into account potential confounders, were used to evaluate the relationship between mounting acts of psychologic IPV and IUGR.

RESULTS

There were 810 women included in the study. Psychologic IPV during pregnancy was reported by 665 women (82.1%) and 126 newborns (15.6%) showed growth restriction. In the final model, each 1-unit increase in psychologic IPV score during pregnancy led to a 15% higher risk of IUGR at birth (odds ratio 1.15; P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

Psychologic IPV during pregnancy seems to be a significant and independent risk factor for IUGR. This finding reinforces the importance of preventive and intervention procedures for IPV to reduce adverse perinatal outcomes.