Pregnant women after physical and sexual abuse in Germany.

Background/aims: The aim of our study was to evaluate the prevalence of abuse among pregnant women in Germany attending our antenatal outpatient clinic and to observe whether a history of abuse had consequences for women's feelings about their pregnancy.

Methods: 455 women between the 35th and 42nd weeks of gestational age were included and were asked to fill out an anonymous questionnaire concerning their pregnancy, their actual psychological state, and their history of physical/sexual abuse. 600 questionnaires were distributed (return rate 75.