The passengers of the vehicles involved in most small incidents and fender-benders do not sustain major injuries. However, there is a higher danger of damage, especially to the unborn child, when the driver or passenger is pregnant. You must receive medical care as quickly as possible if you are pregnant women and involved in a car accident. If the other motorist caused the collision, your next appointment should be with an Albuquerque auto accident lawyer to see whether you can hold the careless driver accountable for the harm you and your child have endured.

How Does a Car Crash Affect a Pregnancy?

When you are pregnant, you are aware that you are carrying valuable cargo. You follow all safety advice to protect your child, yet you are unable to stop going or riding in a car. You run the danger of suffering the following severe injuries when another driver collides with your vehicle:

• Maternal harm 

You could sustain a severe brain injury, spinal cord damage, shattered bones, whiplash, or another severe injury, just as in any auto accident. Even if your unborn child was unharmed in the collision, your pregnancy might still be in jeopardy as you receive medical attention and heal from your injuries.

• Abrupt placentation

The greatest danger to your unborn child in a car accident is a placental abruption. This occurs when the placenta separates from the uterine lining, and a collision can bring it on. A placental abruption may result in bleeding, a miscarriage, or early labor.

• Preterm birth

A car crash could cause you to go into labor early. It is improbable that babies born before 24 weeks of gestation would survive. The survival rate is almost 60% between 24 and 28 weeks, but long-term health issues are likely. Survival chances are around 90% after 28 weeks of gestation. However, the infant may require additional care for several months.

• Fetal harm

In a collision, the infant may sustain neck and brain injuries similar to those seen in shaken baby syndrome. The infant may sustain further traumatic injuries if the seat belt, steering wheel, or airbag crushes the abdomen.

• Psychological harm

For a woman who is pregnant or a new mother, the worry, anxiety, fear, and despair that follow a vehicle accident can be crippling. These psychological wounds may have an impact on the pregnancy and raise the risk of postpartum depression.