Pregnancy and post-partum can be a time of heightened risk for domestic abuse and violence.
That's according to Cork woman and Women's Aid Maternity Project Co-Ordinator, Gillian Dennehy.
The 'Women's Aid Annual Impact Report' was published this morning.
The report finds that, last year, Women's Aid support workers heard 33,831 disclosures of domestic violence including 5,735 disclosures of domestic violence against children.
The Women's Aid Maternity Project aims to train healthcare workers and women about how common and dangerous domestic abuse is during pregnancy.
Speaking to RedFM News, Gillian Dennehy says 41 women disclosed to Women's Aid that they has miscarried in 2021 as a result of the domestic abuse they experienced:
"Domestic violence and abuse is not stopped during pregnancy. In fact, during pregnancy and postpartum can be a time of heightened risk and in 2021 we had 162 women call the helpline disclosing domestic abuse during pregnancy. 41 of those women disclosed that they had miscarriages as an impact of the abuse they experienced. Other impacts can be delay in accessing maternity care, premature labour and birth, depression, anxiety and low birth weight, really serious impacts. Research tells us domestic abuse during pregnancy is more common than preeclampsia and gestational diabetes."
If you have been affected by any of the issues in the story, contact Womens Aid, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, on 1800 341 900 or visit their website womensaid.ie.
