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What Is the Doctor's Reaction?
Wearing seatbelts saves lives. We have known this for a long time. We also know that airbags combined with seat belts significantly cut the risk of death and major injury, and save lives as well. I have always been a big fan of seatbelts for everyone, and car seats for infants and children. Teaching children to wear their seatbelts is a very important task. And parents and other adults have to teach by example.
But what about when the driver or passenger is a pregnant women? In the U.S., it's estimated that nearly 33,000 pregnant women are involved in car crashes each year. Auto accidents are the single largest cause of death for pregnant women. More pregnant women die in car crashes than in birthing complications. These accidents are also a leading cause of fetal death. The proper use of seatbelts by all pregnant women might prevent about 80% of serious or fatal outcomes to the fetus due to car accidents.
We don’t really know how many fetal deaths occur in this country from car accidents each year. Some estimate that between 300 and 1000 unborn children die in car accidents each year. How can a pregnant woman best protect herself and the unborn child she is carrying? How can automobiles better protect expectant mothers and their unborn children? What is the best way to restrain the woman to minimize injury? Should seatbelts be redesigned? These questions are now being addressed by engineers and scientists.
Pregnant women are at special risk during accidents. The placenta connects the growing fetus to the uterus of the mother. The attachment is delicate, and during an accident the placenta can be detached. This can happen during a crash when the steering wheel hits the abdomen of the women, for example. If this happens, the fetus gets no oxygen and dies. There have not been many studies about the best ways to protect the fetus when a pregnant woman is in a car. This article describes one recent study trying to better understand how to protect the unborn child.
Other recent research has shown that if pregnant women would buckle up each time they went into a vehicle, fewer fetuses would die. So what is the best advice for pregnant women right now? Put on your seat belt every time you go in a vehicle. Wear it properly. You should always wear a lap-shoulder type belt, with the lap part sitting across the hip bones below the belly. Don’t wear a “lap-only” seatbelt. These have been shown to cause more injuries to unborn children. The shoulder strap of the seat belt should cross over the shoulder and the chest. Move the seat as far back from the dashboard as possible. And do NOT deactivate your car’s airbag. A recent study showed that the impact of an airbag did not seem to raise the risk of most pregnancy complications. Airbags, used along with seatbelts, are known to cut crash victims’ risk of death and major injury.
What Changes Can I Make Now?
- When traveling in a car, everyone should wear a seatbelt or be belted into a car seat. This gives you protection if you are in a crash.
- Remember, children are different than adults. They should be protected by putting them in car seats until they are old enough and big enough to use adult seat belts.
- Take your time when you are putting children in a car seat. Make sure each child is properly strapped in.
- Seat belts must be used properly in order to protect you. Always wear both the lap and the shoulder belt. The lap part of the belt should go as low as possible over the hips, below your belly. The shoulder part should lie across the center of your chest and over the shoulder. Do NOT put the belt under your arm.
- Make sure your seatbelt is tightened against your body so there is no slack.
- NEVER put two people in one seatbelt. This is very dangerous.
- Do not disarm the airbags because you are pregnant. And remember, airbags are designed to be used with seatbelts.
- When pregnant, try to keep as much space as possible between you and the steering wheel.
- Do not ever use a cell phone to talk or text while driving.
- Don't drink and drive. Obey traffic signals and signs, and use your signals.
What Can I Expect Looking to the Future?
We need engineers, scientists and doctors to better understand what happens to a pregnant woman and her baby during a car crash. We need to design better computerized models to study this. Then I hope we will see the development of safer cars and safer car restraints. These technological advances will, I hope, make travel safer for everyone in the future.
There is a great deal of misinformation about the best way to travel in a car when pregnant. I think public health efforts to educate young women will be very important to reduce the risks to expectant mothers. Obstetricians, health clinics and family doctors, as well as car manufacturers, should get involved in projects to inform women of the best ways to protect an unborn child.
