The Interplay between Intimate Partner Violence during Pregnancy and Birth Outcome

Abstract Background Intimate partner violence is behavior by a partner or ex-partner that causes physical, sexual, or psychological harm and includes physical aggression, sexual coercion, psychological abuse, and controlling activity An earlier study in 2019 was conducted on the data collected from the 2014 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) revealed that the total prevalence of all forms of abuse was 29.4%. Aim of the Work To explore the association between prenatal exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) among pregnant women to adverse birth outcome either maternal or neonatal. Compared to those who are not exposed to IPV. Explore socio-demographic and clinical correlates. Patients and Methods This study is a cross sectional Comparative Cohort study conducted at obstetrics and Gynecology in ASU hospital, in Cairo, Egypt. And the study period starting March 2023 till October 2023. Results there was significant correlation between exposure to emotional and harassment abuse and wife’s education, with P-value of 0.046 and 0.014 respectively. Yet, there was no significant correlation between wife’s education and exposure to severe combined abuse, physical abuse and neither with total composite abuse scale scores with P-values of 0.086, 0.921 and 0.136 respectively. No significant correlation between partner’s education and exposure to any type of abuse (severe combined abuse, physical abuse and harassment) and neither with total composite abuse scale scores with P-values of 0.569, 0.111, 0.399, 0.701 and 0.777 respectively. This may be because most of the woman in the Arab countries is thought that her golden role is to be house wife and no need for high level of education. we explored 15 adverse outcomes in the relation to exposure to IPV during pregnancy: psychiatric sequalae in mother (post-partum depression, postpartum anxiety), physical sequalae in mother (Preterm labor, premature rupture of membrane, gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, vaginal bleeding, abnormal placentation, dehydration, urinary tract infection, spontaneous abortion, induced abortion), physical sequalae in neonate (intrauterine growth retardation, preterm birth (born before 37 completed weeks) and low birth weight< 2500 g). Conclusion Involving 100 puerperal women, significant correlations were found between exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy and various adverse outcomes, including preterm delivery and postpartum depression. The findings highlight the serious consequences of IPV on both maternal and neonatal health, with preterm birth rates being notably higher among women exposed to IPV.