Fetal outcome in motor-vehicle crashes: effects of crash characteristics and maternal restraint

Motor vehicle collision‐related accidents in pregnancy

“…15 Moreover, it has been shown that the vast majority of pregnant women involved in MVA are seated in the driver or front passenger seat of the car. 16 Our study found that pregnant women involved in an MVA were more likely to be Hispanic, Black, lowincome earners, and have Medicaid insurance coverage compared to non-pregnant women involved in an MVA. These findings have been corroborated by other studies that showed these same variables, and others, to be associated with maternal trauma, including: age < 25 years, African-American or Hispanic race, use of illicit drugs or alcohol, domestic violence, noncompliance with proper seatbelt use, and low socioeconomic status.…”

Physical Activity and Injuries During Pregnancy

“…[23–26] In addition, previous maternal injury research has focused exclusively on hospitalized or Emergency Department -attended injuries, despite the fact that these injuries are a small minority of all injuries. [20–22, 27–31] No studies to date have examined non-hospitalized physical activity-related injuries during pregnancy. Since there are many changes in a pregnant woman’s body that may affect the ability to exercise, including increased joint and ligament laxity, shifts in the body’s center of gravity, and increased heart rate, there may be increased injury risks during physical activities.…”

Seatbelt Syndrome with Gastric Mucosal Breaks and Intra-Gastric Wall Air Leakage

“…Small intestine and colon damage requires multiple intestinal resections, which result in short bowel syndrome and abdominal wall reconstruction. Moreover, post-operative complications, such as intra-abdominal sepsis, occur in some cases (7,8).…”