Domestic Violence during Pregnancy - Essay Example

? Domestic Violence during Pregnancy al Affiliation Domestic violence is one of the most dangerous experiences that pregnant women face in their homes. Women who undergo battering can obtain assistance from health organizations in which nurses and other health professionals will be helpful in offering medication as well as counseling (Estrellado, 2010). Nurses use both physical and mental assessment to determine the extent to which the client has undergone bettering. Physical assessment involves the presence of scars while mental assessment involves signs of psychological disturbances such as anxiety. Without any intervention, domestic violence can lead to the death of both the pregnant woman and unborn baby (Burton, 2008). Domestic Violence during Pregnancy Introduction Like many other problems that people face across the world, there must be a reason to why domestic violence happens in various homes. Domestic violence as amongst serious problem that are common in many homes, leads to the occurrence of other problems, which have negative impacts on family members, especially the mother and children (Hester, 2007). This discussion will consider the causes domestic violence, the impacts of domestic violence on both pregnant women and the unborn or newborn babies, and the prevention measures for domestic violence. Overview People have acknowledged domestic violence as among the most severe problems to the health of married women. However, pregnant women experience more impacts from domestic violence than normal women do because of a number of complications due to pregnancy. According to the Center for Disease Control, domestic violence during pregnancy refers to sexual, physical, emotional violence that pregnant women experience, especially from their husbands (Huth-Bocks, Levendosky, & Bogat, 2010). Research has shown that pregnant women have a higher likelihood of experiencing physical violence from their husbands than normal women do. Domestic violence harms women more than other problems, such as hypertension, diabetes, and other serious health complications do. It has serious effects on both infant and maternal health because injury to the breasts, genitals, and abdomen are common during pregnancy. Therefore, domestic violence is a significant factor that leads to high proportions of perinatal and maternal morbidity and mortality. Commonly, domestic violence during pregnancy can lead to fetal fractures, placental separation, prenatal hemorrhage, preterm labor, and rupture of the uterine walls. Domestic violence can indirectly affect the health of the pregnant mother and her unborn baby negatively because the mother can eat well as well or seek antenatal care (Estrellado, 2010). Nursing care considerations related to domestic violence assessment Domestic violence during pregnancy has become a severe problem, which affects both social and public health. Therefore, advanced practice physicians and nurses who help in providing the prenatal care play a vital role in identifying, diagnosing, and treatment for pregnant mothers facing domestic violence. In a number of hospitals, physicians and nurses are screening expectant mothers for domestic violence during the time of delivery, which is usually late for screening because in most cases, domestic violence takes place earlier (Estrellado, 2010). It is significant to for health institutions to implement a plan of screening expectant women during the prenatal visits, and give them necessary interventions. Such interventions include education about domestic violence and providing the expectant mothers with information on local resources like domestic violence centers and shelters. Expectant women should obtain a number of resources, such as shoe cards and Domestic Violence Survivor’s Guide from health institutions (Estrellado, 2010). The shoe cards bear the phone numbers and names of the local agencies that are resourceful to domestic violence victims. These cards also bear information concerning safety measures. Domestic Violence Survivor’s Guide bears information such as phone numbers and names of domestic violence agents. The guide contains topics such as housing and domestic violence hotline information, filing for legal separation or divorce, and obtaining an order for protection (Huth-Bocks, Levendosky, & Bogat, 2010). The impact of battering to the individual client, newborn, and the family Battering of expectant women is common in many homesteads, and this brings about negative impacts to the newborn, the expectant woman herself, and family. Newborn babies in homes with domestic violence are at high risk of undergoing infant abuse just like the newborn babies in homes with mental health problems or in homes where parents have developed drug dependency (Estrellado, 2010). Children growing up in homes with domestic violence are more likely to experience child neglect and child maltreatment as compared those children growing up in homes without domestic violence or other problems, such as drug abuse and dependency. Studies have shown that the involvement of the father in the upbringing of children is extremely significant (Burton, 2008). Therefore, when fathers display severe depression, the infant children, especially boys tend to develop high levels of behavioral and emotional problems. Other problems like the baby shaking syndrome are common in homes with domestic violence, which may lead to long-term disability of the baby or infant death. Most children in homes with domestic violence develop psychiatric problems, which include depression, substance abuse, mood disorders, behavior problems, and anxiety (Burton, 2008). Expectant women suffer significantly during domestic violence, especially when their husbands batter them. The effects of domestic violence are severe on pregnant women because their partners can hit them on the abdomen. Apart from the immediate injuries that expectant women may attain, they may also suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, eating problems, chronic pain, and psychosomatic symptoms (Baker & Cunningham, 2009). Many people consider physical violence as more severe than psychological abuse, but advocates and health care providers across the globe have recognized that both psychological and physical violence can have annihilating emotional and physical health effects to expectant women (Estrellado, 2010). Domestic violence has a close association with mental health disorders such as post-traumatic disorder, depression, and anxiety. Pregnant women are likely to experience complicated medical difficulties. Research has shown that pregnant women are vulnerable to acquiring kidney infections, bleeding, cervical and vaginal infections, and sexually disease infections. In addition, pregnant women who experience domestic violence have a higher likelihood of delaying prenatal care and a lower likelihood of receiving antenatal care than expectant women in ordinary homes (Burton, 2008). The family as a whole suffers from domestic violence because the pregnant woman, her baby, or both will lose their lives. Therefore, domestic violence is likely to cost a family two family members. In case of serious complications such as bleeding and miscarriage, it will force the family members to use available resources for medical intervention, which will bring about bankruptcy and poverty (Estrellado, 2010). Physical and Mental Assessment Findings that the Nurse may Observe in a Battered Client Battering of women is a common domestic violence in many homesteads, which usually happens because husbands abuse drugs. It is crucial for nurses or other health professionals to carry out an assessment on the bettered clients and identify their personal profiles. This is especially significant when the battered clients are pregnant because it may avoid further violence. Physical assessment involves the bruises, scars, broken bones, and swollen eyes that battered women attain due to physical blows (Estrellado, 2010). Mental assessment involves a variety of psychological problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and depression. Physical effects of battering such as scars on the skin may be due to earlier domestic violence. Some of the psychological effects such as post-traumatic stress disorder are chronic may disturb the victims throughout their lives if there is no timely therapeutic intervention (Estrellado, 2010). Addressing the issue of domestic violence The most crucial part of addressing the issue of domestic violence is to get and keep the victims of domestic abuse safe (Poole, Beran, & Thurston, 2008). Many mental-health and legal professionals recommend that safety plans should be in place both in the workplace and at home. Such plans include encouraging the victims of violence to maintain peace, keep a fully charged mobile phone, restrain orders against batterers, and to get prepared every time. It is crucial to counsel a couple if a partner consumes alcohol excessively. Research has shown that marital therapy that focuses on alcoholism is effective in avoiding domestic violence due to excessive consumption of alcohol. In some cases, the batterer does not drop his aggressive behavior, which will call for permanent marital separation so that the victim can be safe. Therefore, if a nurse or any medical professional finds out that the client may finally die because of domestic violence (Estrellado, 2010) Conclusion It is true that domestic violence is one of the most dangerous experiences that pregnant women face in their homes. Domestic violence can cause harm to both the expectant woman and the unborn or newborn baby (Burton, 2008). It is necessary for nurses and other health professionals to do screening during the prenatal visits, and give them necessary interventions. Battering of pregnant women can even lead to the death of the victim and her unborn child, which will cost the family by losing it members. Therefore, earlier intervention such as marital therapy is crucial because the batterer may drop his aggressive behaviors (Estrellado, 2010). References Baker, L., & Cunningham, A. (2009). Inter-Parental Violence: The Pre-Schooler’s Perspective and the Educator’s Role. Early Childhood Education Journal, 37, 199– 207. Burton, M. (2008). Legal responses to domestic violence. Abingdon, Oxon.: Routledge- Cavendish. Estrellado, A. F. (2010). Assessing the Personality Profile of Battered Women. The Assessment Handbook. Retrieved April 28, 2012, from http://pemea.club.officelive.com/Documents/A5_V4_1_AH.pdf Hester, M. (2007). Making an impact: children and domestic violence: a reader (2nd ed.). London: J. Kingsley Publishers. Huth-Bocks, A. C., Levendosky, A. A., & Bogat, G. A. (2010). The effects of domestic violence during pregnancy on maternal and infant health. NCBI. Retrieved April 28, 2012, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12033553 Poole, A., Beran, T., & Thurston, W. (2008). Direct and indirect services of children in domestic violence shelters. Journal of Family Violence, 23, 679–686. Read More