Pregnancy-Associated Assault Hospitalizations Selected U.S. States, 1997: Exploring the Incidence and Risk for Hospitalized Assaults Against Women During Pregnancy

摘要

Injuries are the leading cause of death and a major cause of morbidity in women of reproductive age. Injuries to pregnant women are of special concern as they increase the risk of fetal loss and pre-term labor. However, little population-based work has been conducted quantifying and describing the incidence of hospitalized assaults among pregnant women and research has not yet confirmed whether pregnant women are at increased or decreased risk for serious violence during pregnancy. The purpose of this research was to describe the incidence and patterns of assault-related hospitalized injury among pregnant women in a large multi-state hospital discharge dataset and to compare the rate of violence-related hospitalization to all women of reproductive age. Secondarily, this research will help promote the use of a standard and readily replicated technique to measure the burden of serious and severe non-fatal violence against pregnant women. The author of the report, Harold B. Weiss was afrfiliated with the University of Pittsburgh at the time the report was written. Weiss can be contacted regarding this research report at University of Pittsburgh, Department of Neurosurgery, 200 Lothrop St. Suite B400, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 .