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Effects on the Fetus
There are direct and indirect effects. Some direct effects are: *Spontaneous abortions *Fetal trauma or death from maternal trauma *Premature labor and stillbirth *Low birth weight Some indirect effects are: *Increased stress for mother *Smoking or increased smoking *Alcohol or drug use or abuse (Curry, Perin,& Wall, 1998) |
| Single or multiple bruises | Poor eye contact |
| Specific areas of injuries on mom, like abdomen, breasts and genitalia | Low self-esteem or blames self |
| Multiple trauma sites at different stages of healing | Cannot make decisions on her own |
| Injuries that appear untreated, like old fractures | Denies the severity of injuries |
| History is inconsistent with injuries | Feels that she makes him do it |
| Dental Problems, like fractured teeth or facial injuries | Does not seek help when there are injuries or waits a long time before getting help |
| History of depression/alcohol abuse/drug abuse |
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and (Gerbert et al, 1996) |