Adolescent mothers: the impact of intimate partner violence on infant health and maltreatment

There is a need for more research focusing on the health outcomes of infants born to the understudied group of adolescent mothers. Archivical data from four independent sources were used to answer the following research question: During the child’s first year, what adverse health factors are associated with acts of intimate partner violence (IPV) that were experienced by adolescent mothers during pregnancy, or three months postpartum. Results of chi-square analyses showed IPV was associated with 14 adverse child health outcomes including child maltreatment. Suggestions for application of these findings and recommendations for future research are included.