title: Motor-vehicle injury in pregnancy and subsequent feto-maternal outcomes: of grave concern.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  (1) To evaluate maternal and fetal outcome after motor-vehicle injury during pregnancy. (2) To determine if there was prenatal care provider counseling for seat belt use.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective chart analysis of materno-fetal outcome following motor vehicle injury in 728 pregnant women between 2009 and 2012. Women attending antenatal clinics over these years were asked if they were counseled regarding correct seat belt use by prenatal health care providers during their antenatal visits.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In these pregnant women, 80 (11%) sustained minor injuries/sprains. 648 women (89%) had severe adverse materno-fetal pregnancy outcomes. Important causes being: (1) placental abruption 58.8%; (2) preterm labor (40%); and (3) uterine rupture (1.6%). There were 100 (13.7%) maternal and 78 (10.7%) fetal deaths. 91 (12.5%) perimortem cesarean deliveries were performed and 74 (81%) fetus survived, as did 31 women. Prenatal care provider counseling for seat belt use occurred in 44.8% of prenatal visit. Only 125 (21%) were using seat belt during the accident.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Important causes of adverse pregnancy outcome were: abruptio placenta, preterm labor and uterine rupture. There were 100 maternal and 78 fetal deaths with 97 preterm births. Counseling occurred in 44.8% of women. Those using seat belts during the accidents sustained minor injuries.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University , Safat , Kuwait and.
authors.forename: Rachana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chibber
authors.forename: Jehad
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Al-Harmi
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fouda
authors.forename: Eyad
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: El-Saleh
mesh_terms: D000037:Abruptio Placentae / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D000063:Accidents, Traffic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D018986:Motor Vehicles; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012622:Seat Belts; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Adverse pregnancy outcome; fetal deaths; maternal deaths; prenatal counseling; seat belt use