RESUMO
Background: Domestic violence can have an important influence on mother and child health. Aim: To assess the consequences of remote and actual, emotional or physical, domestic violence on the reproductive and newborn health in pregnant women. Material and methods: A longitudinal epidemiological observation from an Urban Primary Health Care Center from Valdivia, Chile, in 1998. Two cohorts were studied: Pregnant women that experienced domestic violence (index group) and pregnant women not exposed to domestic violence (control group). Women were followed during pregnancy and at labor. The newborn was also assessed. Results: The index group had a higher relative risk (RR) for impending abortion (RR 1.44, 95 per cent confidence interval (CI): 1.07-1.93), hypertensive syndrome of pregnancy (RR 1.5, 95 per cent CI: 1.18-1.96), intrahepatic cholestasis (RR 1.5, 95 per cent CI: 1.1-1.94). Women that experienced violence during pregnancy had a higher risk of urinary tract infection (RR 2.88, 95 per cent CI: 1.28-6.43), intrauterine growth retardation (RR 3.7, 95 per cent CI: 1.77-7.93) and intrahepatic cholestasis. Newborns from the index group had lower weight, size and gestational age. Conclusions: Domestic violence is associated with hypertension during pregnancy and intrauterine growth retardation. The incorporation of bio-psychological evaluation and monitoring systems could attenuate the consequences of domestic violence