Driving During Pregnancy: Pregnant Women Who Drive During 2nd Trimester Are More At Risk Of Traffic Accidents, Study Says

There are a lot of activities that are more dangerous for pregnant women than in non-pregnant women such as rigorous workouts, drinking alcohol, eating fast food and smoking cigarettes. A new study suggests that driving during pregnancy can also be more dangerous.

The new research about driving during pregnancy -- published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal -- involved the study of medical records of over 500,000 mothers in Ontario. The researchers found out that pregnant women are 42 percent more likely to experience a serious vehicular accident during the second trimester of pregnancy compared to three years before getting pregnant.

"I often look after pregnant women who will ask me about flights and scuba diving and hot tubs and medications and many other things, but I'm almost never asked about vehicle crashes, despite them frequently causing serious injury to mother and baby," lead researcher Dr. Donald Redelmeier told Today's Parent. He added that the dangers of driving during pregnancy are caused by fatigue, nausea and lack of focus during the second trimester.

Dr. Redelmeier says that the research does not discourage driving during pregnancy. However, women are encouraged to drive more carefully when they are pregnant. He also encourages doctors to include safe driving recommendations when giving prenatal care to pregnant women, especially during the second trimester of pregnancy.

There are several ways to make driving during pregnancy safer for both the mother and the baby. These include using the seatbelt correctly, moving the car seat further away from the steering wheel, avoiding leaning forward and wearing a shoulder-lap belt, according to Baby Center.