Accidental electric shock in pregnancy: a prospective cohort study.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to quantify fetal risk after accidental electric shock in pregnancy.


METHODS
All pregnant women who were counseled by the Motherisk Program in Toronto and by the Vermont Pregnancy Risk Information Service in Burlington after having an electric shock during pregnancy were enrolled in a prospective, controlled, observational study.


RESULTS
Thirty-one women were followed up after delivery: 26 had been exposed to 110 V, 2 to 220 V, 2 to high voltage, and 1 to 12 V. Twenty-eight women gave birth to healthy normal infants, one had a child with a ventricular septal defect, and two had spontaneous abortions. In the control group there were 30 healthy babies; one woman had a spontaneous abortion. There were no differences between the groups in pregnancy outcome, birth weight, gestational age, type of delivery, or rates of neonatal distress.


CONCLUSIONS
In most cases accidental electric shock occurring during day-to-day life during pregnancy does not pose a major fetal risk.
Einarson
A
A
Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Bailey
B
B
Inocencion
G
G
Ormond
K
K
Koren
G
G
D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000209:etiology; D000059:Accidents; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004556:Electric Injuries / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012306:Risk