The children of mothers who experience intimate partner violence (IPV) are more likely to suffer from poor health outcomes, Australian research has found.
In a
new study, a team of researchers led by the Menzies School of Health Research
at Charles Darwin University (CDU) revealed the impact of IPV on child health,
Xinhua news agency reported.
They
found that children younger than five years whose mothers experienced IPV were
more likely to develop acute respiratory infection, diarrhoea and be
under-nourished.
The
risk of poor health outcomes was much higher among children whose mothers
experienced multiple types of violence, the research found.
Researchers
from institutions including CDU, the University of Sydney, the Australian
National University and the University of Queensland examined data from 238,060
children younger than five living across 37 sub-Saharan African countries.
It was
the first study to comprehensively analyse the link between a mother's
experience of physical, emotional and sexual violence and co-occurrence and the
subsequent effect on their child's health.
"Research
into the impact of exposure to violence on children's health and development is
essential for understanding possibilities for prevention," Gary Robinson,
director of the Menzies School of Health Research Center for Child Development
and Education, said in a media release on Tuesday.
The
research said that sub-Saharan African countries need to prioritise the
development and implementation of strategies encompassing IPV preventive
measures and support for affected families.
"Countries
in the sub-Saharan Africa region, including Chad, Comoros, Gabon, Uganda,
Burkina Faso, Senegal, Burundi, South Africa, and Liberia, merit specific
attention due to heightened risks of adverse childhood outcomes associated with
IPV," the study said.
A
multidisciplinary approach that integrates health care, social services and
legal frameworks is paramount to mitigate the wider impact of IPV, the research
said.
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