TY - JOUR PY - 2021// TI - Intimate partner violence and child outcomes at age 10: a pregnancy cohort JO - Archives of disease in childhood A1 - Gartland, Deirdre A1 - Conway, Laura J. A1 - Giallo, Rebecca A1 - Mensah, Fiona K. A1 - Cook, Fallon A1 - Hegarty, Kelsey A1 - Herrman, Helen A1 - Nicholson, Jan A1 - Reilly, Sheena A1 - Hiscock, Harriet A1 - Sciberras, Emma A1 - Brown, Stephanie J. SP - ePub EP - ePub VL - ePub IS - ePub N2 - OBJECTIVE: Assess the mental health, physical health, cognitive and language development of 10-year old children in families where mothers have reported intimate partner violence (IPV) compared with children with no reported IPV exposure.

DESIGN: Prospective pregnancy cohort. Maternal report of IPV (Composite Abuse Scale) at 1, 4 and 10 years. Maternal and direct assessment of child mental health (probable psychiatric diagnosis, anxiety and emotional/behavioural difficulties), cognition (IQ and executive function), language (general, pragmatic and receptive) and physical health at 10 years. SETTING: A subsample of 615 mother-child dyads drawn from a pregnancy cohort of 1507 nulliparous women recruited from six public hospitals in Melbourne, Australia.

RESULTS: Any IPV exposure from infancy to age 10 was associated with poorer child outcomes at age 10. Specifically, twice the odds of a probable psychiatric diagnosis, emotional/behavioural difficulties, impaired language skills (general and pragmatic), and having consulted a health professional about asthma or sleep problems. IPV exposure at age 10 associated with two to three times higher odds of all mental health outcomes, elevated blood pressure and sleep problems. Early life exposure alone (at 1 and/or 4 years) associated with three times higher odds of a general language problem and asthma at age 10.

CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of IPV and increased risk of poorer health and development among children exposed highlights the burden of ill health carried by children in families experiencing IPV. Fewer difficulties where exposure was limited to the early years builds the case for better identification, understanding and resourcing of effective early intervention.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0003-9888 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2020-320321 ID - ref1 ER -