Intelligence in offspring born to women exposed to intimate partner violence: a population-based cohort study [version 1; peer review: 2 approved]

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a risk factor for Background: developmental problems in offspring. Despite a high prevalence of IPV in the UK and elsewhere, the longer-term outcomes of offspring born to exposed mothers remain under-researched. Population-based cohort study. We assessed IPV prevalence by Methods: type and timing for 3,153 mother-child pairs with complete data within our study population and examined associations between IPV and offspring IQ. We used multiple-imputation to evaluate bias due to our exclusion of observations with missing covariate data. relative odds were most substantial when mothers were exposed to violence across pre-/perinatal and postnatal study periods (OR performance IQ<90 = 2.97 [95%CI 1.30 to 6.82]). Maternal exposure to physical IPV is associated with lower Conclusions: offspring IQ at age 8. Associations persisted after adjusting for potential confounders and were driven by violence occurring postnatally. Data Data Curation, & The results of this study fill gaps in understanding the repercussions for cognitive development of children's exposure to maternal IPV during pregnancy and after birth. In my opinion, the study needs no modification. The abstract fulfils its role. The introduction provides an overview of the problem. The methods are described accurately. Statistical analysis was described and performed carefully. The problem of the attrition was properly controlled. The results and discussion were well elaborated and it shows the need for interventions to prevent exposure and mitigate the negative repercussions of IPV on women and their children. The ALSPAC again produces interesting and important results that require large samples, data on parents and children, and a longitudinal design. The finding is that partner violence during pregnancy and after is associated with decreased IQ in the child. This type of question in observational data requires a multitude of controls for confounders which can better explain the findings like e.g. maternal depression. The sample size allows for these analysis. This should get indexed without picking around the edges as the work is well done. Having said that the authors have an obligation I think to use their skills and this data set to try to understand the mechanism of this finding… is it maternal inattention, lack of play activities or schooling, too many other children, what is it that leads to this gross outcome lowered IQ? It is imperative that work be undertaken to understand and thus to intervene in these child victims. With maternal depression we could treat the mother, what can we do for these children other than stopping or preventing the violence? As for the access to data the ALSPAC has a well worked up procedure.