Car accidents can be upsetting for many, but expectant mothers are typically more at risk after a car accident. After that, they should worry about their babies and themselves. It’s not always easy to notice the problems that comes from this, and it can be serious, even life-threatening injuries. If you are injured and are pregnant, then you should talk to an attorney for advice. You should also take a few steps after the accident.
The Risks to Babies
While the baby is normally safe, there is definitely pressure that’s life-threatening for the kid.
Uterine rupture is when the uterine wall cause stress, bleeding, pain in the abdomen, resulting in contractions that can lead to death.
Miscarriage is another thing that can happen, and it’s traumatic especially after accidents.
Premature birth, which is before the 37th week is definitely possible. The child may not develop fully, and a crash may cause the mother to go into labor and it can cause the child to be a preemie. They may have heart defects, blindness, intellectual problems, mental health issues, issues with lungs, and hearing.
Coup and contrecoup injuries also may happen, which are head injuries. This happens when the head hits objects, and it does happen when car accidents happen.
Infections also may happen. That’s because foreign entities like plastic, metal, and even glass can enter the tissues and blood of both the mothers and the child, and it may cause sepsis, which is fatal for many.
The fetus may also suffer internal injuries as well, such as bleeding or head trauma.
Finally the mom may experience internal shock, which is after the mom loses blood. They then end up losing blood to those internal organs, and the mom may die at this point.
Obviously, all of this is scary.
How to Prevent this
The best thing for you to do is to not drive at all. You should try to let someone else drive since the driver is more at risk than the passengers. The steering wheel may also injure the child, so it’s best if the mother is near the center of the vehicle, away from the moving parts.
Next, you should obey traffic laws and regulate how people drive. They should obey and be aware of this. Those who aren’t usually get into more accidents, so being aware is always the solution.
You should also make sure that you wear the shoulder and lap belt to protect the baby and your body.
Make sure to move the seat back as much as you can, and try to keep it away from the baby. obviously, you need to make sure that you can still reach this, but make sure it’s far enough back so it won’t hurt baby in the accident.
Finally, don’t drive sick. If you suffer from morning sickness or feel bad, you may want to also make sure you don’t drive. If you drive while sick, it can affect your skills and put you at risk for accidents. So try to avoid doing it as much as you can.
With that being said, in the event of an accident, you should definitely make sure you first and foremost get medical help. Obviously, call the police and other authorities, but also make sure that you get the right medical care too, and if needed, also get a personal injury lawyer for this, since it does help make sure that you’re compensated for not just the care of you as the mother, but also for the baby that may be injured in the accident.