Moms in second trimester at serious risk of auto accident

A new population-based study by Canadian researchers shows that women in the second trimester of pregnancy run a substantial risk of serious motor vehicle crash.  The findings were published in the May 12 edition of The Canadian Medical Association Journal.

More than 500,000 women aged 18 and older who gave birth in Ontario between April 1, 2006 and March 31, 2011 were included in the research. The primary outcome of the population-based self-matched longitudinal cohort analysis was a motor vehicle crash that resulted in a visit to the emergency department. The investigators compared the risk of a serious motor vehicle crash during the second trimester to the women’s baseline risk before pregnancy.

During the 3-year baseline period, the women were drivers in 6,922 motor vehicle crashes, compared with 757 during the second trimester of pregnancy alone, an increase from an average of 177 per month to 252 per month. That 42% relative increase (95% confidence interval 32%-53%; P<0.001) held true in diverse populations, varied obstetrical cases, and in crashes with differing characteristics.

The researchers found that the increased risk was greatest in the early second trimester and was compensated for by the third trimester. It was not observed when the women were passengers or pedestrians in crashes. The findings, the authors concluded, “underscore the importance of prevention and suggest that prenatal care guidelines for pregnant women should include safe driving.”  

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