Exposure To Domestic Violence Hinders Babies' Brain Development
New research has underscored the long-term damage exposure to can do to babies and young children. Specifically, it can lead to poor and/or delayed .
Linda Bullock is one of the founders of the Domestic Violence Enhanced Perinatal Home Visits (LOVE) program in rural Missouri. Speaking to , Bullock said she felt compelled to help start the program after assessing a pregnant woman for premature labor in 1983.
Bullock noticed bruising on the expecting patient, who claimed a refrigerator fell on her while cleaning the kitchen. She later realized the woman was likely suffering in an abusive . The experience motivated her to start LOVE to help mothers and their offspring who are impacted by instances of domestic violence.
Recently, Bullock collaborated on a study that inquired into the effects of domestic abuse on infants. They were specifically interested to see if having multiple partners during and after pregnancy had a different impact compared to women with only one abusive partner.
The researchers, who hailed from Johns Hopkins University as well as the University of Virginia, relied on data provided by LOVE. They were able to consider hundreds of women and their offspring who experience domestic abuse. They conducted several home appointments where they administered neurodevelopmental tests to the infants in their first year of life – the first at three months, and the others at the six and twelve-month marks.
In conclusion, the researchers found that the babies born to women who only had one abusive partner had poorer cognitive outcomes in comparison to those whose mothers had multiple romantic relationships, only some of which were characterized by abuse.
They emphasize that it’s important to identify children at risk for cognitive set-backs due to abuse in order to provide them with resources and support to mitigate the consequences.
Bullock explained that she’s seen many children born into situations where domestic violence is present, and they often go on to due to their cognitive delays. She adds this puts them at risk of other health issues, too, including gastrointestinal problems and issues with sleeping, eating, and mental health.
In addition, the researchers hope that further training and resources will be provided to medical staff to help them identify victims of domestic abuse, and offer support and resources. The results of the study were recently published in .
If you’re experiencing a situation of abuse, please know that you don’t deserve it and that help is available. For those in the United States, visit for more information. If you’re in Canada, you can use to find helpful resources.
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