Domestic violence and pregnancy. Implications for practice.

A review of the literature reveals an incidence of abuse during pregnancy in approximately half of all battered women, and one in 11 to one in 50 women from the general population. Abuse often begins or escalates during pregnancy, and may result in pregnancy loss, preterm labor, low birth-weight, fetal injury, and fetal death. Nurse-midwives can play a vital role in prevention, assessment, and intervention with violent families. Effective intervention requires increased awareness of domestic violence as a public health concern and a knowledge base from which to confront the problem.