How To Buckle Up If Pregnant

A new report in the Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology indicates that unbelted pregnant women are nearly three times more likely to lose their fetuses and twice as likely to have excessive maternal bleeding than pregnant women wearing seat belts.

Pregnant women not wearing seat belts in a car crash are more likely to deliver low-birth-weight infants than pregnant drivers not involved in a crash.

However, many women still are not wearing seat belts, according to the study by researchers at the University of Utah and the Center for Injury Research and Control at the University of Pittsburgh.

Some women forget because they may not have worn seat belts prior to pregnancy, some complain of discomfort, and some are also told incorrectly that seat belts may injure the fetus or themselves. Also the study reveals that many women are not properly instructed on wearing seat belts correctly.

On The Early Show, Heather Kahn, a contributing editor at Parenting magazine, offers tips on how to wear a seat belt properly to save your life and your baby's.

Adjust you seat
You should adjust your seat so that your breastbone is 10 inches from the steering wheel or dashboard. As your abdomen grows during pregnancy, move the seat back to keep as much distance as possible while still allowing a driver to reach the pedals.

Air bags
Some pregnant women, according to the research, are under the impression that if you are in a car with the airbag, you don't need to wear your seat belt. That is wrong. You still need to buckle up.

Air bags are designed to work with seat belts, not to replace them, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Association. Without a seat belt, a pregnant woman can be thrown into a rapidly opening air bag - a movement of such force could injure or even kill the mother and unborn child.

This does not mean you should disable your air bag. An air bag combined with a seat belt work together to protect you and your baby. Doctors recommend you leave the switch on and wear your seat belt.

The proper way to wear a seat belt

• Position the seat belt properly. This is very important for pregnant women. The lap portion should always been worn low UNDER the belly and snugly across the hips.
• The belt SHOULD NOT be worn across the abdomen. The bony hip structure is much better suited to handle the load a collisions generates. The abdomen is softer and hence more vulnerable.
• The shoulder portion should be worn correctly over the shoulder, NEVER UNDER, with a snug tension. You should adjust your seat so that the belts do not cut into your neck. You want to be comfortable so that you don't hesitate wearing the belt again.