Maternal fatalities, fetal and neonatal deaths related to motor vehicle crashes during pregnancy: a national population-based study

• Published in: Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica Vol. 87; no. 9; p. 946
• Main Authors: Kvarnstrand, Laura, Milsom, Ian, Lekander, Thomas, Druid, Henrik, Jacobsson, Bo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-01-2008
• Subjects: Accidents, Traffic - mortality; Adolescent; Adult; Female; Fetal Death - epidemiology; Fetal Death - etiology; Fetus; Humans; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy; Registries; Retrospective Studies; Sweden - epidemiology; Sweden
• ISSN: 1600-0412
• DOI: 10.1080/00016340802302184

Firstly, determine the mortality rate for: pregnant women; fetuses and neonates, due to motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) during pregnancy; and secondly, the rate of major injuries among pregnant women and the rate of involvement of pregnant women in crashes.
A national population-based, retrospective descriptive study.
Sweden, 1991-2001. Population. All pregnant and non-pregnant women age 15-44.
Linkage of national traffic, medical and autopsy registers.
Maternal death or injury and corresponding fetal death. Results. MVCs during pregnancy caused 1.4 maternal fatalities per 100,000 pregnancies and a fetus/neonate mortality rate of least 3.7 per 100,000 pregnancies. The incidence of maternal major injury was 23/100,000 pregnancies and crash involvement was 207/100,000 pregnancies.
MVCs during pregnancy were a significant cause of maternal fatalities, fetal and neonatal deaths, responsible for almost 1/3 of all maternal deaths and fatalities, and caused nearly three times more fetal plus neonatal deaths than maternal fatalities.