Will informing pregnant women about proper seat belt usage lead to fewer maternal and fetal injuries from motor vehicle accidents?

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. E9
Author(s):  
Lynne Werth ◽  
LaShell LaBounty
Author(s):  
Kenya Freeman ◽  
Michael S. Wogalter

Seat belts have been effective in reducing serious injuries and deaths in vehicular accidents. However, their use by women in the third trimester of pregnancy can cause placental damage and fetal injury or death in relatively minor motor vehicle accidents without severely injuring pregnant women. The lack of seat belt use in similar or more serious accidents could cause severe injuries or death to pregnant women from impacts within the cabin or from ejection, and in turn could lead to fetal injuries or deaths. The present study sought to determine whether women between the ages of 16 and 45 (child bearing age) would like to be informed of these risks. Ninety-nine of the 101 women surveyed indicated they would like to be informed of the risks, and that they would expect to find this information in the vehicle's owners manual. in dealing with the risks, some women indicated that they would wear the seatbelts and others indicated they would not. Most respondents indicated that they would reduce the risks by reducing their use of the vehicle during pregnancy. These results have implications for risk communications.


Trauma ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 225-229
Author(s):  
Shayesteh Jahanfar

Introduction Motor vehicle accidents are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Safe driving behavior constitutes proper use of seat belts as a driver and as a passenger. The correct use of seat belts has been shown to reduce death and injury following motor vehicle accidents by more than 50%. This study aims at investigating seat belt use and driving habits among Canadians. Method A population-based database from the Canadian Community Health Survey was analyzed. Result About 12% reported that they use seat belts most of the times, rarely or never and 27% of respondents were using cellphone while driving often or sometimes; 8% of respondents admitted to driving after 2 or more alcoholic drinks. Seat belt use in taxi passengers is much lower than in own cars, with 40% not using a seatbelt all of the time when in a taxi. Discussion and conclusions The major risk factors for not wearing seat belt as a passenger include age, education, ethnicity and income.


2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 1949-1951
Author(s):  
Sue Min Kim ◽  
Non Hyeon Ha ◽  
Hyung Min Hahn ◽  
Il Jae Lee ◽  
Myong Chul Park ◽  
...  

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e031839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mamoru Morikawa ◽  
Takashi Yamada ◽  
Hiromasa Kogo ◽  
Masaki Sugawara ◽  
Akira Nishikawa ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo determine whether an educational leaflet had any effect on seat belt use, seat preference and motor vehicle accidents rate during pregnancy in Japan.DesignProspective, non-randomised control trial with a questionnaire survey.SettingEight obstetric hospitals in Sapporo, Japan.Participants2216 pregnant women, of whom 1105 received the leaflet (intervention group) and 1111 did not (control group).InterventionsDistribution of an educational leaflet on seat belt use to women in the intervention group.Primary outcome measuresThe effect of an educational leaflet on seat belt use, each pregnant woman’s seat preference and the women’s rates of motor vehicle accidents rate during their pregnancies. To evaluate the effects, the intervention group’s responses to the questionnaires were compared with those of the control group.ResultsThe proportion of subjects who always used seat belts during pregnancy was significantly higher in the intervention group (91.3%) than in the control group (86.7%; p=0.0005). Among all subjects, the percentage of women who preferred the driver’s seat was lower during pregnancy (27.0%) than before pregnancy (38.7%), and the percentage of women who preferred the rear seat was higher during pregnancy (28.8%) than before pregnancy (21.0%). These two rates did not differ between two groups. Seventy-one women (3.2%) reported experiencing a motor vehicle accident during pregnancy. The motor vehicle accident rate for the intervention group (3.3%) was similar to that for the control group (3.2%).ConclusionsAn educational seat belt leaflet was effective in raising the rate of consistent seat belt use during pregnancy, but it did not decrease the rate of motor vehicle accidents. The wearing of seat belts should be promoted more extensively among pregnant women to decrease rates of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality from motor vehicle accidents.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Netanella Miller ◽  
Tal Biron-Shental ◽  
Kobi Peleg ◽  
Ami Fishman ◽  
Oded Olsha ◽  
...  

Abstract: Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) are a major incidental cause of pregnancy-associated maternal deaths in the US. The goal of this research was to evaluate the incidence, risks, and fetal and maternal outcomes of pregnant women involved in MVAs. In addition, we examined the relationship between the injury severity score (ISS) and car seat location in pregnant and non-pregnant women.: This involved a retrospective cohort study of female patients who were involved in MVAs and hospitalized between the years 2006 and 2013. Data were collected from the Israeli National Trauma Registry. Severity and outcomes of pregnant and non-pregnant women with blunt trauma were compared.: In this study, 3794 pregnant and 3441 non-pregnant patients aged 18–40 years were analyzed. The majority of pregnant patients were drivers (n=2515, 67%) as opposed to passengers (n=1279, 33%). Pregnant patients had lower ISS than non-pregnant patients (P<0.001). Out of these pregnant patients, 38 (1%) had adverse maternal-fetal pregnancy outcomes, including (1) placental abruption 0.1% and (2) miscarriage (0.2%). One pregnant patient died (0.03%) compared with 32 (0.93%) of the non-pregnant patients (P<0.0001). A significant negative correlation between gestational age and spontaneous abortion was found (P<0.009).The severity of injury and the mortality rate of pregnant patients involved in MVAs are significantly lower compared with non-pregnant patients. Pregnant drivers had a significantly lower severity of trauma compared with pregnant passengers.


2008 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiharu Kim ◽  
Yutaka Matsuoka ◽  
Ulrich Schnyder ◽  
Sara Freedman ◽  
Robert Ursano

Author(s):  
Kelvin Allenson ◽  
Laura Moore

Trauma related injury is the leading cause of non-obstetric maternal death.  The gravid uterus is at risk for injury, particularly during motor vehicle accidents.  Resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) is a means of controlling pelvic hemorrhage in the setting of trauma.  We report the use of REBOA in a hemodynamically unstable, multiply-injured young woman with viable intrauterine pregnancy.


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