Pregnancy and delivery for women with a history of child sexual abuse

Objective: To study whether women with a history of child sexual abuse are at increased risk of delivering low birth weighs infants. Secondary aims we re to study smoking habits, obstetric complications, health c-ere use, and health complaints during pregnancy among women with a history of child sexu al abuse. Method: In a case control study, 82 women with birth of a low birth weight infant (< 2500g) (cases) and 91 women with birth of a normal birth weight i nfant (controls) were interviewed about experiences of child sexual abuse. Results: Fourteen percent of the women disclosed a history of child sexual abuse involving at least genital touch. Birth of a low birth weight infant was not associated with a history of child sexual abuse (OR 1.03, 95% CI .4 4-2.40). More women with a history of child sexual abuse were smokers durin g pregnancy (56% vs. 31%) compared with nonabused women. Abused women repor ted lower age at menarche and sexual debut. Nonscheduled contacts with the antenatal care clinic and discomfort during pregnancy were more frequent am ong abused women when controlled for low birth weight. Conclusions: Women who delivered low birth weight infants were not more lik ely to have experienced child sexual abuse than women who delivered nonlow birth weight infants. Abused women were unemployed and daily smokers more o ften than nonabused women. Some of the abused women reported more health co mplaints, and more use of health care services during pregnancy, but did no t have more obstetric complications during pregnancy and delivery. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.