Publications

Klinich, K.D., Rupp, J., Pearlman, M. D., Schneider, L. 2006. Protecting the Pregnant Occupant and Fetus in Motor-vehicle Crashes: A Biomechanical Perspective. Proceedings on the Research on Women’s Issues in Transportation Conference, Chicago, IL..

Providing effective protection for fetuses of pregnant occupants in motor-vehicle crashes (MVC) poses a significant challenge to automotive safety engineers because of limited quantitative data and knowledge on the causes of fetal loss and injury. However, recent studies have helped to improve understanding of the factors leading to adverse fetal outcomes in MVC. The new knowledge has been implemented in a new pregnant crash dummy and computer models that can be used to evaluate restraint system performance for pregnant occupants. An anthropometry study of seated pregnant occupants throughout gestation provides data on the size and shape of the pregnant abdomen relative to steering wheels and belt restraints. In-depth investigations of forty-two crashes involving pregnant occupants has resulted in a logistic regression model to predict the risk of adverse fetal outcome as a function of crash severity and maternal restraint usage. These data have been implemented in the design and development of a pregnant abdomen for the small female Hybrid III crash dummy with instrumentation output that has been correlated in a series of sled impact tests to the risk of adverse fetal outcome developed from field data. Highest priority areas for future research are to systematically monitor fetal outcomes after MVC, improve instrumentation for the pregnant crash dummy, collect additional data from crash investigations involving pregnant women, and perform material property testing of uterine and placenta tissue.