Citation

Ress P. Br. Med. J. BMJ 2005; 331(7527): 1228.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmj.331.7527.1228-f

PMID

16308375

PMCID

PMC1289361

Abstract

Pregnancy is a dangerous time for women in some parts of the world, shows a study for the World Health Organization on domestic violence. Between 4% and 12% of pregnant women in rural areas of developing countries told investigators that they had been beaten up while expecting a baby. More than 90% of them said that they had been abused by the father of the unborn child, and between a quarter and half of them had been kicked or punched in the abdomen. The study concludes that violence against women can be prevented and that public health has an important role to play in dealing with its causes and consequences.