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Cited by 102Homicide, Infanticide, and Child AbuseIntimate Partner and Family ViolenceMaternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum

Homicide During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period in the United States, 2018–2019

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Wallace, Maeve, Gillispie-Bell, Veronica, Cruz, Kiara, Davis, Kelly, Vilda, Dovile·2021·Obstetrics & Gynecology
DOI 10.1097/aog.0000000000004567PMC PMC9134264
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the national pregnancy-associated homicide mortality ratio, characterize pregnancy-associated homicide victims, and compare the risk of homicide in the perinatal period (pregnancy and up to 1 year postpartum) with risk among nonpregnant, nonpostpartum females aged 10-44 years. METHODS: Data from the National Center for Health Statistics 2018 and 2019 mortality files were used to identify all female decedents aged 10-44 in the United States. These data were used to estimate 2-year pregnancy-associated homicide mortality ratios (deaths/100,000 live births) for comparison with homicide mortality among nonpregnant, nonpostpartum females (deaths/100,000 population) and to mortality ratios for direct maternal causes of death. We compared characteristics and estimated homicide mortality rate ratios and 95% CIs between pregnant or postpartum and nonpregnant, nonpostpartum victims for the total population and with stratification by race and ethnicity and age. RESULTS: There were 3.62 homicides per 100,000 live births among females who were pregnant or within 1 year postpartum, 16% higher than homicide prevalence among nonpregnant and nonpostpartum females of reproductive age (3.12 deaths/100,000 population, P<.05). Homicide during pregnancy or within 42 days of the end of pregnancy exceeded all the leading causes of maternal mortality by more than twofold. Pregnancy was associated with a significantly elevated homicide risk in the Black population and among girls and younger women (age 10-24 years) across racial and ethnic subgroups. CONCLUSION: Homicide is a leading cause of death during pregnancy and the postpartum period in the United States. Pregnancy and the postpartum period are times of elevated risk for homicide among all females of reproductive age.

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  • Substance abuse, homicides, and other non-obstetric factors contribute significantly to the number of women dying during pregnancy and childbirth.

    “Nevertheless, substance abuse, homicides, as well as other non-obstetric factors contribute significantly to the number of women dying during pregnancy and childbirth [12–14].”

    From Age-related disparities in national maternal mortality trends: A population-based study (2025) · cites this paper as [12]

    The Results report that homicide during pregnancy or within 42 days after pregnancy exceeded each leading obstetric cause of maternal death by more than twofold. The Conclusion also mentions other violent deaths, but the paper does not establish the contribution of substance abuse or non-obstetric factors generally; its findings concern pregnancy and the postpartum period, not childbirth specifically. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Wallace, M., Gillispie-Bell, V., Cruz, K., Davis, K., & Vilda, D.
Affiliations
Tulane University (US)
ORCID
Vilda, Dovile
Venue
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Publisher
Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Published
2021-10-06
Volume
138
Issue
5
Pages
762-769
ISSN
0029-7844 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1097/aog.0000000000004567
PMC
PMC9134264
OpenAlex
W3204096867
Cited by
102
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 24 · 2023: 19 · 2022: 21 · 2021: 1
FWCI
22.52
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD092653)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
  • Social Sciences › Health › Intimate Partner and Family Violence
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Maternal Mental Health During Pregnancy and Postpartum
Keywords
homicide, pregnancy, postpartum period, maternal mortality, Black women, young women, racial and ethnic disparities, causes of maternal death
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Cause of Death, Child, Ethnicity, Female, Homicide, Humans, Maternal Mortality, National Center for Health Statistics, U.S., Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Risk Factors, United States, Violence, Postpartum Period, Live Birth, Young Adult

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