High risk pregnancy due to physical traumas in pregnant women referred to forensic medicine center and university treatment centers of Khorramabad

Masoudi M1, Asti P1, Hadizadegan A2 1. Instructor, Department of Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Lorestan University of Medical Sciences 2.GP Abstract Background: Trauma during pregnancy can lead to early complications such as abruption placenta, premature contraction and labor and at most, bleeding and fetus-maternal mortality. Trauma is one of the most causes of high risk pregnancy. One out of twelve pregnant women suffers from physical trauma and in 7% of pregnancies involves complications due to trauma. The aim of this study was to determine the high risk pregnancy due to physical trauma in pregnant women referred to forensic medicine center and treatment centers of Lorestan university of medical science in Khorramabad. Materials and method: The present study is a across-sectional survey in which all the pregnant women (71 women) that suffered from trauma and referred to forensic medicine center and treatment centers of Lorestan university of medical sciences in Khorramabad city from 23 September, 2005 to 22 September, 2006 (one year) were studied. Data were collected using questionnaire and observations chart. Research subjects were studied in their place of hospitalization in the first 24 t0 48 hours after accident. One month after discharging from hospital we referred to their addresses and their complications were followed up and studied.Data was analyzed by SPSS software, and descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: According to the results, the reasons of referral in 60.1% of the cases was accident traumas, 31.6% physical abuse, 8.3% suicide. The most common cause of the traumas was car accident (30.7%) and abuse by husband was the most frequent (55.2%). The mean of gestational age was 22.6 weeks and abdomen was the area in which the most amount of trauma has been occurred (39.5%) and the most common traumas consisted of multiple traumas. The most common complications due to unintentional traumas was premature labor (13.2%) and in intentional traumas was fetus –maternal mortality (22.5%). Statistical tests showed no significant relation between the case and type of trauma with complications of pregnancy. Conclusion: These results indicate a high prevalence of accidents and abuse and suicide among pregnant women. So education to pregnant women and their families, as well as making aware them from physical and mental complications of physical abuse and also lacking prevention from their exposure in dangerous conditions for example the use safety belt can effectively prevent from above the mentioned complications specially fetus-maternal mortality.