"The battered fetus syndrome". Preliminary data on the incidence of the urge to physically abuse the unborn child.
Recently published reports of physical assault by women in late pregnancy upon their unborn children have elicited a response of incredulity in many professionals. This response is identical to that which followed the publication of the first cases of child abuse in the 1960s. The present paper attempts a preliminary exploration of the incidence of the urge to "hurt or punish" the unborn child using a sample of 112 normal pregnant women and their male partners. Eight percent of the women and 4% of the men acknowledged experiencing such an urge. The male partner appeared to be aware of the woman's aggressive feelings toward the fetus and the male's reports tend to validate the female findings. Despite some methodological shortcomings, the findings suggest that the urge to physically assault the fetus is not rare. The need for further investigation of the phenomenon is highlighted, as it may well represent the earliest precursor of later physical child abuse.