Infants exposed to domestic violence have poorer cognitive development
Study explores impact of multiple father figures on infant
neurodevelopmental delays

Date:
September 18, 2021
Source:
University of Missouri-Columbia
Summary:
Infants coming from homes with domestic violence often go on to
have worse academic outcomes in school due to neurodevelopmental
lags and a higher risk for a variety of health issues, including
gastrointestinal distress, trouble eating and sleeping, as well
as stress and illness.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== While assessing a pregnant woman with premature labor in 1983, Linda
Bullock noticed bruises on the woman. When she asked what happened,
the woman told Bullock a refrigerator had fallen on her while cleaning
the kitchen.


========================================================================== "Something didn't seem right, but I didn't know what to say at the
time. I just went on to the next question of the assessment," said
Bullock, now a professor emerita at the University of Missouri Sinclair
School of Nursing. "We stopped her labor and sent her home, but I will
bet my last dollar I sent her back to an abusive relationship, and it
sparked my interest in helping other nurses assist battered women. What
we didn't know at the time was the impact violence had on the baby."
Bullock helped implement the Domestic Violence Enhanced Perinatal
Home Visits (DOVE) program in rural Missouri, which empowered safety
planning and reduced domestic violence for hundreds of abused pregnant
women. After learning from home health visits that many of the abused
women had up to nine different romantic partners during and following pregnancy, Bullock conducted a study to examine the impact of multiple
father figures on the cognitive development of the newborn infants.

After administering neurodevelopmental tests during home visits three,
six and 12 months after birth, she was surprised to find the infants of
women who had only one male partner who abused them had worse cognitive outcomes compared to infants of women with multiple male partners,
only some of whom were abusive.

"The findings highlight the variety of ways the multiple father figures
may have been helping the mom support her baby, whether it was providing
food, housing, childcare or financial benefits," Bullock said. "For the
women with only one partner who abused them, the infant's father, the
father may not have provided any physical or financial support or played
an active role in the child's life. It can be difficult for busy, single
moms struggling to make ends meet to provide the toys and stimulation
their infants need to reach crucial developmental milestones." Bullock
added that infants coming from homes with domestic violence often go on to
have worse academic outcomes in school due to neurodevelopmental lags and
a higher risk for a variety of health issues, including gastrointestinal distress, trouble eating and sleeping, as well as stress and illness.

"When nurses are visiting homes to check in on pregnant women and
their developing babies, we want them to be trained in recognizing the
warning signs of potential intimate partner violence," Bullock said. "I
still think back to 1983 when I sent that lady back home into a terrible situation, and I am passionate about making sure I can help nurses today
not make the same mistake I made." "Children exposed to intimate partner violence: Impact of multiple father figures" was recently published in
Maternal Child Health Journal. Funding for the study was provided by the National Institutes of Nursing Research. The study involved collaborators
from Johns Hopkins University and University of Virginia.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Missouri-Columbia. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. L. Bullock, S. Ghazarian, M. Nimer, L. Signing, K. Herbell,
D. Farje, J.

C. Campbell, P. Sharps. Children Exposed to IPV: Impact of Multiple
Father Figures. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 2021; 25 (9):
1447 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-021-03184-6 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210918085831.htm

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