Pregnancy and seat belt extenders

pregnancy-and-seat-belt-extendersMany pregnant women avoid wearing seat belts either because they are concerned about the potential damage a lap belt could cause their fetus, or because the seat belt no longer fits properly and is too tight. According to a recent report, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, pregnant women involved in a car accident who are not wearing a seat belt are at an extremely high risk for pregnancy complications. The report examined 57 cases of pregnant women who were involved in a car accident, and found that those wearing a seat belt were 84% less likely to suffer major complications or injure their unborn child. The study also showed that 80% of the unbelted women in the study either lost their fetus or suffered major pre-term complications. Of those who were properly buckled, only 29% suffered the same injuries. This study clearly shows that pregnant women need to be safely wearing seat belts while in a passenger vehicle to avoid potential risks to their pregnancy.

But what if your seat belt no longer fits as you move into the later stages of your pregnancy? An excellent alternative to disposing of the belt altogether is to purchase a car seat belt extender. These devices hook into your previously existing seat belt and provide you with an extra foot or so of belt. Be sure that you wear both the shoulder and the lap straps, with the lap band being as far under the navel as is comfortable.

Once your baby arrives, you may find that strapping the car seat into the car is a little more tricky than you first imagined! It is not uncommon for families to discover that the seat belts in their vehicle do not extend far enough to properly strap in the car seat. In this case you may be able to use a seat belt extender, however you’ll likely want to have this installed by your mechanic or car dealership to ensure that the baby’s car seat is properly protected.

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