Domestic violence during pregnancy: 20 thousand cases reported every year in England

According to an analysis carried out by the NGO "For Baby's Sake Trust", every year around 20 thousand cases of domestic violence are reported to the services responsible for maternity care in England. A figure that is probably underestimated, according to the Guardian which published the contents of the report, and which opens the debate on how to support midwives in recognizing the signs of abuse and in accompanying women who are victims of violence.

The report

The NGO "For Baby's Sake Trust" contacted 118 public health facilities active in England. 74 provided data relating to the last three years. The three-year average shows that approximately 3.3% of bookings received by specialized structures of the National Health Service were affected by reports of ongoing or previous incidents of domestic violence. A percentage that is equivalent to 20 thousand reports of abuse, which occurred within the walls of the home, received by services intended for the care of pregnant women and in the phase immediately following childbirth.

The role of midwives

Judith Rees, operations director of For Baby's Sake Trust and a midwife, told the Guardian: "Pregnancy and the early postpartum period offer a crucial window for intervention (...)."

The head of obstetrics at the English Health Service, Kate Brintworth, says that there are already mandatory training courses for professionals in the fields of gynaecology-obstetrics and neonatology. But, as Veronica Oakeshott of Women's Aid reports, recognizing a confidence is only the first step and midwives need more support to direct women to the next steps because they are already subjected to "enormous pressure" due to the often excessive workload.