@article{ref1,
title="Maternal emotional and physical intimate partner violence and early child development: investigating mediators in a cross-sectional study in a South African birth cohort",
journal="BMJ open",
year="2021",
author="Barnett, Whitney and Halligan, Sarah L. and Wedderburn, Catherine and MacGinty, Rae and Hoffman, Nadia and Zar, Heather J. and Stein, Dan and Donald, Kirsten",
volume="11",
number="10",
pages="e046829-e046829",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: This study investigated associations between recent maternal intimate partner violence (IPV) (emotional, physical and sexual) and child development at 2 years as well as whether maternal depression or alcohol use mediated these relationships. <br><br>DESIGN: Cross-sectional study nested in a South African birth cohort. SETTING: Two primary care clinics in Paarl, South Africa. PARTICIPANTS: 626 mother-child pairs; inclusion criteria for maternal antenatal enrolment were clinic attendance and remaining in the study area for at least 1 year; women were excluded if a minor. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Child cognitive, language and motor development composite scores. These were assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, third edition. <br><br>RESULTS: Emotional IPV was associated with lower cognitive (β=-0.32; 95% CI -0.60 to -0.04), language (β=-0.36; 95% CI -0.69 to -0.01) or motor composite scores (β=-0.58; 95% CI -0.95 to -0.20) in children at 2 years of age. Physical IPV was associated with lower motor scores (β=-0.42; 95% CI -0.75 to -0.09) at 2 years. Sexual IPV was unrelated to developmental outcomes, possibly due to low prevalence. Neither recent maternal depression nor alcohol use were shown to mediate the relationship between IPV and developmental outcomes. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to reduce maternal physical and emotional IPV and early-life interventions for infants and toddlers are needed to promote optimal child development.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2044-6055",
doi="10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046829",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046829"
}