Normal Pregnancy Anatomy

Being a Woodinville auto accident attorney I understand that all auto accidents, no matter how minor, are stressful and can lead to significant injury. For pregnant women, the stress is heightened as they not only have to monitor themselves for injury, but also their unborn child which is highly susceptible to injury. In fact, a fetus is 15 times more likely to die in an auto accident than a child between the ages of 0-14.

There are several pregnancy complications that can arise from an auto accident including; an increased risk of a high-risk pregnancy, miscarriage, premature birth, birth defects and even loss of the infant. The jolt of even a small fender-bender accident can cause enough trauma to the mother and fetus to lead to these severe consequences. The fetus is so sensitive that a small accident can cause a contracoup injury, which is when a trauma effects the opposite side of the brain. For example if the baby’s head is smashed on the front side it suffers damage to the back side of the brain.

An auto accident can also lead to placenta abruption in which the placenta prematurely separates from the uterus wall. A placenta abruption can be accompanied by bleeding, severe abdominal pain and dizziness and often leads to a premature birth.

Symptoms of fetal trauma include: severe vaginal bleeding, intense pain in the pelvis or abdomen, leaking or gushing fluid, dizziness, loss of consciousness, swelling in face or fingers, severe headaches, chills or fever, noticeable change in baby movements, and painful or urgent urination. In some cases symptoms never appear so it is important to have your fetus checked out by a physician immediately after an accident.