title: Extensive brain injury in a premature infant following a relatively minor maternal motor vehicle accident with airbag deployment.
abstract: Traumatic injury following a motor vehicle accident during pregnancy has an enormous potential for fetal injury and demise. With the advent of seat belts, shoulder restraints and airbags, and improved maternal survival, the most common cause of fetal loss is placental injury. However, the safety of airbag deployment during pregnancy and in particular during the latter stages, and the potential for fetal trauma remains unclear. We report a case of extensive neurological injury of a premature infant with minimal maternal trauma associated with deployment of an airbag following a minor motor vehicle accident.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pediatric Patholog, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Prameela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Karimi
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramus
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Urban
authors.forename: Jeffrey M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Perlman
mesh_terms: D000063:Accidents, Traffic; D017278:Air Bags / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000209:etiology*; D002585:Cesarean Section; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second; D049188:Prenatal Injuries