Comparison of Motor Vehicle Collision Injuries between Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Women: A Nationwide Collision Data-Based Study

• Published in: Healthcare (Basel) Vol. 9; no. 11; p. 1414
• Main Authors: Koh, Soonho, Hitosugi, Masahito, Moriguchi, Shingo, Baba, Mineko, Tsujimura, Seiji, Takeda, Arisa, Takaso, Marin, Nakamura, Mami
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 21.10.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Age; Air bags; collision database; Fatalities; Injuries; injury; intervention; Medical personnel; motor vehicle collision; Normal distribution; Pregnancy; pregnant woman; Seat belts; Trauma; vehicle passenger; Vehicles; Women; United States > US
• DOI: 10.3390/healthcare9111414
• ISSN: 2227-9032

We compared the independent predictive factors for moderate and severe injuries, along with characteristics and outcomes of motor vehicle collisions, between pregnant and non-pregnant women. Using 2001–2015 records from the National Automotive Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System, we selected 736 pregnant women and 21,874 non-pregnant women having any anatomical injuries. Pregnant women showed less severe collisions, fewer fatalities, and less severe injuries in most body regions than non-pregnant women. In pregnant women, the rate of sustaining abbreviated injury scale (AIS) scores 2+ injuries was higher for the abdomen only. For non-pregnant women, rear seat position, airbag deployment, multiple collisions, rollover, force from the left, and higher collision velocity had a positive influence on the likelihood of AIS 2+ injuries, and seatbelt use and force from the rear had a negative influence. There is a need for further development of passive safety technologies for restraint and active safety features to slow down vehicles and mitigate collisions. The influencing factors identified may be improved by safety education. Therefore, simple and effective interventions by health professionals are required that are tailored to pregnant women.