Ethnic Differences with Abuse during Pregnancy

This research examined what may be the earliest link in the chain of violence,
the prenatal and perinatal developmental period, with mothers who experienced violence during their
pregnancies. One hundred and sixty-eight mothers reporting abuse and their newborn infants from a sample of
1,226 women recruited in the Boston City Hospital Maternal Health Habits Project were studied. The results
revealed that the newborns of Caucasian mothers had an increase in the level of behavioral problems of crying,
hyperactivity, central nervous system depression and respiratory distress though not significantly. For Black and
Hispanic mothers there were less baby problems with self-reported abuse. Several explanations for these
findings are offered. ETHNIC DIFFERENCES WITH ABUSE DURING PREGNANCY ON NEWBORN
BEHAVIORS A number of empirical studies have identified the influence of media violence, drugs and alcohol,
the availability of guns, biological, psychological and emotional factors, poverty and a dysfunctional family
environment on young people in an effort to discern the origins of violent behaviors.