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HSE National Clinical Guideline

National Clinical Guideline for Screening and Management of Domestic Violence in Pregnancy and the Early Postnatal Period


Topic: Management of domestic violence and abuse in pregnancy
Document Owner: National Clinical Lead for Guideline Development in Maternity and Gynaecology Services, National Women and Infants Health Programme (NWIHP)
National Group: Guideline Development Programme, National Women and Infants Health Programme
Effective From: 31/05/2024
This Guideline aims to provide evidence based recommendations for the screening and care and management of women who are experiencing or have experienced DV during and after pregnancy as well as promoting a standardised approach nationally across all maternity hospitals/units.
National Clinical Guideline for Screening and Management of Domestic Violence in Pregnancy and the Early Postnatal Period
PDF, 2.25MB

This National Clinical Practice Guideline provides an evidence-based, nationally standardised framework for the screening and management of domestic violence during pregnancy and the early postnatal period in Ireland.

It outlines trauma-informed, woman-centred pathways for routine enquiry, recognition, immediate safety assessment, documentation, referral and interagency safeguarding.

Recommendations address care across antenatal, intrapartum, inpatient and postnatal settings, emphasising privacy, trained staff, professional interpreting, multidisciplinary collaboration and continuity of support.

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