Most women travel by car during pregnancy. A pregnant woman should always wear a safety belt correctly to protect both herself and her future child. Now there is a safety belt designed especially for pregnant women, BeSafe Pregnant, which keeps the lap belt in the recommended position. The airbag should not be deactivated. The leading cause of foetal death in car accidents, after maternal death, is placental abruption. If a pregnant woman is involved in a car accident, as insignificant as it may be, she should immediately see a health professional.

Pregnant women and cars

Until now, the issue of road safety during pregnancy has not been addressed in pregnancy guidance and support. Nevertheless, due in great part to the significant change in the Spanish society and keeping in mind women's active role, this matter must now be confronted more dynamically. The majority of pregnant women drive or travel by car during pregnancy. If not for the advice of health professionals, these women would not be aware of the possible dangers or the options available to them to adequately protect themselves on a daily basis.

The latest studies on standard seatbelts

The most recent studies show that when a woman gets pregnant, the standard car seatbelt (a mandatory lifesaver for its obvious benefits) can become a serious threat to her health, as well as to that of her unborn child.

How the standard seatbelt operates

When a vehicle decelerates or crashes into something, the items or people travelling inside the car continue moving forward at the same speed the car was doing before the impact, unless they are held in place by something. That something is the lap belt of the safety belt, the first part of the car's safety system that activates when the brakes are hit, for it is this device that prevents our bodies from being thrown from the car. To keep our bodies from being flung forward this part of the seatbelt takes the force of the sudden reduction in speed and translates it into a weight of between 3 and 5 tons, which are absorbed by the lap portion of the belt. This section of the safety belt is positioned in a "soft" zone: the abdomen.

Implications for the pregnant woman

For a pregnant woman, this massive pressure may injure her internally and seriously harm the foetus, even leading to possible abortion. To prevent the pressure caused by the lap belt from being a hazard for the mother and her unborn child, and to keep pregnant women from abstaining from using the seatbelt during pregnancy due to fear of hurting her child, we recommend placing the lap belt below the abdomen, around the groin area (and the shoulder belt between the breasts).

Dangers and Consequences

Even so, all of the most recent studies show that even if the lap belt is worn under the abdomen, it constantly moves upward. This leads to distraction and discomfort, and worse yet, the seatbelt returns once again to its dangerous position.

In the last months of pregnancy the lap belt can no longer move upward, as the size of the abdomen prevents it from doing so. It does, however, reach a position that is too high, once again placing direct pressure on the uterus and the foetus.

Moreover, even if the lap belt were in the recommended position, an abrupt deceleration or collision would cause it to brusquely rise to its original dangerous position. The impact on the abdomen would be with greater force, despite the fact of having lowered it, as the speed accumulated during the trajectory of the upward movement of the body is converted into an additional pressure. This pressure may not only cause the rupture of the uterus, it may also damage the development of the unborn child's vital organs, which are still being formed. Most importantly, during the first months of pregnancy the foetus is very vulnerable and susceptible to suffering a placental abruption. It has furthermore been shown that children suffer irreparable injuries due to harm incurred by seatbelt use during pregnancy.

The incorrect use of the standard seatbelt

Many pregnant women know or imagine the dangers of standard seatbelts for their unborn children and invent their own homespun solutions, which may be dangerous for both mother and child. Studies show it is most common for pregnant women to abstain from using seatbelts (thus putting themselves in a precarious position, in addition to becoming a potential hazard for the other passengers in the vehicle. As they are not secured, their mobility inside the car may lead to the injury of the other passengers, as well as to their own injury or even death). The force of impact would equal that of throwing oneself headfirst from a three-storey building!

Other pregnant women sit on top of the lap belt of the seatbelt, hindering its effectiveness, and leaving themselves unprotected in the case of sudden deceleration or collision, as there is nothing to prevent them from being thrown from the car. This may also lead to strangulation by the shoulder belt of the seatbelt.

Still others attach clothes pins or tighteners to the lap belt to distance it from the abdomen. This also encumbers the correct operation of the standard seatbelt and is once again inappropriate.

There are also women who during pregnancy continue to use the seatbelt as they always have. The impact they could suffer from the lap belt on the abdomen would be comparable to a blow to both the stomach and the foetus.

An immediate solution - proven and tested The industry's most demanding and highly regarded institute of research and testing, the SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, conducted crash tests in accordance with the European norm ECEr16 (the European norm for safety belts) on BeSafe Pregnant, the device that positions the lap belt below the pregnant woman's abdomen and holds it there - even in case of collision - without altering the seatbelt's effectiveness. The safety belt for pregnant women, BeSafe Pregnant, has been tested and evaluated for the past 11 years, and the results are very positive and encouraging for increasing seat belt use during pregnancy. With this device, the pregnant driver or passenger can wear the car's safety belt naturally, without having to worry. The geometric design of the seatbelt for pregnant women, BeSafe Pregnant, displaces the lap belt to its safest position, below the abdomen and holds it there, under the uterus and the foetus. This system does not obstruct the functional effects of the standard seatbelt, making the BeSafe pregnancy safety belt an ideal and recommendable alternative that should be used from the very moment the woman wishes to become pregnant. It is important to always be sure that the standard safety belt is well adjusted to the body, as slack in the seatbelt dramatically reduces its effectiveness and the level of protection that it can offer. (This applies not just with the device for pregnant women, but for ALL safety belt systems).

Benefits

When the standard safety belt is used in conjunction with the BeSafe Pregnant safety belt, the expectant mother can travel as normal - she is protected and at ease, with no additional distractions and in utmost comfort. It is an easy, effective and recommendable solution that can only help and offer incentive to seatbelt use during pregnancy.

When should the Seat belt for pregnant women be used?

The BeSafe seatbelt should be used from the very instant the woman wants to get pregnant or the moment she finds out that she is pregnant.

The first months of gestation are the most delicate, and although the foetus cannot be seen or felt, it is now that it is at its most vulnerable stage, as its vital organs are being formed. Therefore, injuries brought about by the use of standard seatbelts could have a decisive effect on their development. This device would also be essential for older women, who are at high risk during pregnancy. It would also be advisable for women who have had a caesarean delivery to continue using BeSafe for a time, as an additional safety and comfort measure.

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And now what?

We must acknowledge the dangers involved in the use of the standard seatbelt for pregnant women and their future children, and diligently assume the responsibility of strongly recommending the use of the standard belt in conjunction with the BeSafe Pregnant safety belt.

This dynamic should be considered a fundamental part of the guidance and education of expectant mothers, and should be incorporated into their very first meeting with their corresponding health professionals (midwife, gynaecologist, obstetrician, specialized medium or press, etc.). This is the only way to make pregnant women and their families aware of the dangers and protection measures to adopt during pregnancy.

Other important considerations for pregnant women in the car

The expecting mother undergoes many changes during her pregnancy. These include modifications in blood sugar and hormonal levels, a relaxation of the muscles, and a greater tendency toward absent-mindedness. What she once considered a lifesaver, the standard safety belt, becomes a direct threat, and fear of its use during pregnancy is perhaps one of the most significant changes that she undergoes. She is aware that not only her own life, but also that of her unborn child is in jeopardy, and she is faced with the fears of the possible injuries that the seatbelt may cause.

How to publicise such essential information

Professionals in the health sector are in a position to present new technologies and developments, as they have privileged relationships of absolute trust with pregnant women. It is therefore their moral and professional obligation to help prevent deaths and unnecessary injury, whenever such matters are in their hands.

Recommendations for pregnant women travelling by car

• Recommend the use of the safety belt whenever travelling by car, no matter how short the trajectory may be. (The majority of foetal deaths are caused by maternal death).
• Be sure that the seatbelt is worn correctly during pregnancy: the position recommended by Public Traffic Administration and the medical authorities is as follows:

· The lap belt over the thighs, at the height of the groin, and under the abdomen - never over the abdomen.
· The shoulder belt must be placed between the breasts.
· Once placed, seat belts should be retightened to eliminate all slack.

• Recommend the use of the safety belt designed for pregnant women BeSafe Pregnant (available at all department stores and specialized shops), which holds the lap belt in the recommended position - while maintaining the effectiveness of the standard safety belt - in accordance with the qualifications of the SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute, ECE r16.
• Be sure that the headrest of the seat is positioned at the right height for the passenger/driver, providing protection to the neck and head.
• If the steering wheel is adjustable by height or angle, position it toward the chest when driving, and never toward the head or the abdomen.
• Do not deactivate the airbag. Instead, regulate the seat distance from the steering wheel or dashboard of the vehicle so as to reduce the risk in case of collision.
• Stop to rest at least every 2 hours during long trips and be sure to walk for about 10 minutes during this break.
• Always take water on the trip to avoid dehydration, and biscuits or fruit juice to avoid nausea.
• Do not forget that a pregnant woman's body is undergoing many changes, all of which may influence her ability to drive and her well-being, such as:

· Hormonal changes
· Changes in blood sugar levels
· Modifications in blood pressure
· Alterations in vision
· Circulatory manifestations which often appear in the legs, etc.

• For any doubts or questions, always consult a medical professional.