Fetal survival following impact: Improvement with shoulder harness restraint

A series of 22 pregnant baboons were subjected to impact under similar conditions. The only major variable was the difference in maternal restraint. The fetal death rate of 8.34 per cent ( 1 12) among animals impacted with 3 point restraint was significantly lower than that of 5 fetal deaths among 10 maternal animals impacted with lap belt restraint alone (p = < 0.05). In this study, the decelerative force was near tolerance for the mother and was equal in the two series of animals. The high fetal death rate among lap-belted mothers is attributed to forward flexion over the belt and not to deceleration alone. It is concluded that shoulder harness restraint should be recommended for use by pregnant women as being significantly protective of fetal welfare when compared with the fetal death rate associated with lap belt restraint alone.