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What should I do if I get into a car accident while I am pregnant?

 

A: If you are involved in a car accident while you are pregnant no matter how far along you are, visibly injured or not, you should contact your health care provider right away or go to the nearest hospital.  Anytime you suffer trauma during pregnancy, especially if it is a blow to the abdomen, you should be evaluated by a health professional. 

The womb offers the baby and placenta some protection during the crash but the reason you should be evaluated immediately is because the jolt that occurs from a crash or from slamming on the brakes suddenly can cause the placenta to seperated from the uterus.  If this occurs it is called placental abruption which can cause hemorrhaging, premature delivery and/or a miscarriage.  Going to the hospital or seeing your doctor directly after the accident can help take care of the situation before it is to late and if nothing went wrong with you or the baby from the car crash the visit at the least will give you peace of mind that everything is okay with your baby. 

When you arrive at the hospital or in your doctors office they should do an ultrasound to check the baby and placenta to make sure that no placenta seperation has occured.  If you and the baby are in good condition you will be released to go home but will probably be told to watch for any of the following signs as they could mean that something is wrong but went undetected by the hospital or health care provider:

• Bleeding
• Leaking fluids
• Abdominal pain
• Contractions
• Decline in baby's movement

If any of these things occur you should contact your doctor or midwife immediately.

Some may wonder if it is better to not wear a seat belt at all during pregnancy because of the pressure it can cause on the stomach if you are involved in a car accident.  The answer to this is, eventhough a seat belt can cause harm to your unborn baby, it is still much safer for both you and your baby if you are correctly fastened in a seat belt.  A correctly fastened seat belt goes across your hips and should never go across the higher part of your stomach. 

Researchers are currently working on developing a that can replicate a woman, her fetus, placenta and uterus so that they can use it in car crash tests to find out new ways to protect a pregnant woman and her baby if involved in a car accident. 

If you have been involved in a car accident while pregnant it does put you in a high risk pregnancy category at the time of the accident and for a period of time after the accident.  If you experience injuries to yourself, your baby or if you have a miscarriage because of another persons negligence it is your right to the ability to start a lawsuit against that person for the damages done. 

                          

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