Violence Against Women, Mother-Infant Bond and Child Behaviour: An Exploratory Path Analysis at IVAPSA Cohort.

The study is exploratory and cannot prove that violence caused these outcomes, only that they are associated. The sample was restricted to women without hypertension, diabetes, or smoking, limiting generalizability to higher-risk pregnancies. Attrition occurred over time, and 29 participants were excluded due to missing violence data. Violence was self-reported without prior clarification of definitions, which may have led to underreporting. Child behavioral outcomes were reported solely by caregivers, introducing potential bias. The study did not measure prenatal depression, so it is unclear if pre-existing mental health issues influenced the findings.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest. Funding was provided by Brazilian public research agencies (CNPq, FAPERGS) and the Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre.

Do not interpret these findings as proof that violence directly causes child behavioral problems. The study identifies an association where maternal stress and depression mediate the effect on the mother-child bond, which is then linked to child behavior. The direction of causality cannot be confirmed from this exploratory analysis.