Citation

Palladino CL, Singh V, Campbell JC, Flynn HA, Gold KJ. Obstet. Gynecol. 2011; 118(5): 1056-1063.

Affiliation

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Education Discovery Institute, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, Georgia; the Department of Emergency Medicine, Department of Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; the Department of Community-Public Health, School of Nursing, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland; and the Departments of Psychiatry and Family Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/AOG.0b013e31823294da

PMID

22015873

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: : To estimate the rates of pregnancy-associated homicide and suicide in a multistate sample from the National Violent Death Reporting System, to compare these rates with other causes of maternal mortality, and to describe victims' demographic characteristics. METHODS: : We analyzed data from female victims of reproductive age from 2003 to 2007. We identified pregnancy-associated violent deaths as deaths attributable to homicide or suicide during pregnancy or within the first year postpartum, and we calculated the rates of pregnancy-associated homicide and suicide as the number of deaths per 100,000 live births in the sample population. We used descriptive statistics to report victims' demographic characteristics and prevalence of intimate-partner violence. RESULTS: : There were 94 counts of pregnancy-associated suicide and 139 counts of pregnancy-associated homicide, yielding pregnancy-associated suicide and homicide rates of 2.0 and 2.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, respectively. Victims of pregnancy-associated suicide were significantly more likely to be older and white or Native American as compared with all live births in National Violent Death Reporting System states. Pregnancy-associated homicide victims were significantly more likely to be at the extremes of the age range and African American. In our study, 54.3% of pregnancy-associated suicides involved intimate partner conflict that appeared to contribute to the suicide, and 45.3% of pregnancy-associated homicides were associated with intimate-partner violence. CONCLUSION: : Our results indicate that pregnancy-associated homicide and suicide are important contributors to maternal mortality and confirm the need to evaluate the relationships between sociodemographic disparities and intimate-partner violence with pregnancy-associated violent death. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: : II.

Language: en