Pregnancy, violent death linked
Wednesday, November 29th, 2006
By Chris Fitzsimon
Woman’s murder points to disturbing, if murky, statistics
Mandy Locke, Staff Writer
The news that Michelle Fisher Young had been beaten to death at her home in a quiet subdivision south of Raleigh was shocking enough. That Young was four months pregnant only made it worse.
But it’s not all that unusual.
Homicide is the leading cause of death among pregnant women, according to some studies. Others have found it is a leading cause of death among pregnant women and mothers of newborns. Young, who expected to deliver a boy in the spring, was just the latest in a long list of women whose lives were cut short as they tried to bring a new life into the world.
"We view pregnancy as a special, protective time, so it’s always shocking to think of the woman as being particularly vulnerable," said Sandra Martin, a UNC-Chapel Hill professor in the Department of Maternal and Child Health, who has studied abuse of pregnant women.
Wake County sheriff’s investigators have said they have no suspects in Young’s death, but they say the killing wasn’t random. Detectives found no indication that a stranger forced his way into her Enchanted Oaks subdivision home; her 2-year-old daughter, Cassidy, wasn’t harmed. (more…)
Last 5 posts in Daily News
- N.C. lawmakers to create offshore drilling panel - November 21st, 2008
- Basnight suggests a favorite to lead DOT - November 21st, 2008
- Steps N.C. should take to lead on health care - November 21st, 2008
- Democratic party head in N.C. will step down - November 21st, 2008
- Washington wows Hagan - November 21st, 2008
Email This Post
Print This Post
