The topic of injury during pregnancy is unreasonably ignored by doctors, although in most cases such injuries can be prevented. After all, up to 20% of deaths of pregnant women occur due to injuries and damage not related to pregnancy.

Most often, women suffer injuries during pregnancy as a result of road traffic accidents (RTA). Fortunately, the incidence of pregnant women involved in road accidents, the degree of injury and the number of deaths do not exceed those of non-pregnant women.

Not inferior in frequency to road accidents are injuries associated with physical violence from a husband or partner and usually received at home. In developed countries, cases of injury as a result of physical violence occur in 5-30% of pregnant women, but still the majority of such incidents, especially with minor injuries, remain unpublicized and are not mentioned when visiting a doctor. In 64% of such cases, the woman receives blows to the abdominal area. Fetal death occurs in one out of 20 pregnant women.

In third place are falls and accidental injuries. As pregnancy progresses and the uterus grows, a woman’s center of gravity shifts, which leads to increased loss of balance. From 3 to 30% of falls are accompanied by injury, and the period after 32 weeks of pregnancy is especially dangerous.

Domestic and other types of injuries are rare in pregnant women, and the degree of damage is determined by the type of injury. The most dangerous are electric shocks, since more than 70% of such accidents result in the death of the fetus.

Despite the increased frequency of injuries to pregnant women, the consequences of injury during pregnancy for women’s health are less serious compared to injuries to non-pregnant women. Doctors explain this effect by the protective function of increased hormonal levels, as well as more frequent visits by pregnant women to medical institutions. Even with minor bruises and injuries, a pregnant woman is more likely to undergo a timely examination and receive the necessary help compared to other groups of people.

The extent of damage when injured depends on many factors. However, the duration of pregnancy plays a very important role. In the first trimester, while the uterus is within the pelvis, with blows, falls, or short-term compression of the abdomen, the risk of harm to the pregnancy will be minimal. Up to 3% of women who are injured and hospitalized due to it do not know that they are pregnant. The doctor is obliged to check with the woman, if her condition allows it, whether she is being protected from pregnancy and when she had her last menstruation. If menstruation is delayed, the hCG level is determined to determine the presence of pregnancy.

In the second trimester, the uterus already extends beyond the pelvis, but nevertheless, the fetus is surrounded by a sufficient amount of amniotic fluid, which softens the force of falls and blows, so the danger to the fetus in this period of pregnancy is also not too high.

In the third trimester and before childbirth, trauma can lead to premature birth, placental abruption, bleeding, uterine rupture, and intrauterine fetal death.

In the second half of pregnancy, if damage occurs, it is important where exactly the placenta is attached. Most often, the baby's place is located on the back wall of the uterus - this is one of nature's protective mechanisms. But in a number of women, the placenta is attached to the anterior wall of the uterus, which significantly increases the risk of placental abruption due to abdominal trauma. Particular attention should be paid to the abnormal attachment of the placenta - the so-called presentation, which in itself can be accompanied by a number of complications, but with injuries these complications appear more often.

What should a pregnant woman do if she is injured as a result of a fall, accident, impact, etc.? To begin with, it is important to correctly assess the degree of harm to your own health and the health of the unborn child. Of course, the reaction of many women, especially in a state of shock, may be inadequate, so in such cases it is advisable to immediately contact a medical facility.

If the injury is not accompanied by pain, bleeding, or increased contractile activity of the uterus, the woman can lie down and monitor her condition and fetal movements, if she felt them before. It is important to remember that from the second half of pregnancy, an enlarged uterus can compress the inferior vena cava when the woman lies on her back, and this in 30% of cases is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms and creates a false picture of a worsening condition.

However, if you receive an injury, it is still undesirable to take any painkillers. If the impact of a fall or accident falls directly on the abdominal area and the woman experiences severe pain, it is necessary to call an ambulance or immediately go to the hospital on your own.

Up to 40% of pregnant women may experience increased uterine contractions after injury, but in 90% of cases these contractions will stop without negative consequences for the pregnancy.

In a medical institution, the doctor is obliged to assess the woman’s condition and, if necessary, connect her to oxygen and intravenous drips. But it is very important to know the condition of the fetus, placenta, and amniotic fluid. In this case, ultrasound will be one of the best diagnostic methods. If the pregnancy is more than 23-25 ​​weeks, the woman may be sent to the maternity ward for observation, even with minor injuries.

Ultrasound allows you to determine not only the condition of the uterus, placenta, fetus, but also intra-abdominal bleeding. It is important to monitor the fetal heart rate: the mother's stress reaction can be reflected in the form of a stress reaction in the fetus. After 23-34 weeks of pregnancy, monitoring of the fetus and its activity is carried out for 4 hours, and if necessary, longer.

After injury, short-term disturbances in the fetal heart rhythm may be observed, but such deviations, as a rule, do not have a negative prognostic value. At the same time, a normal heart rhythm excludes a negative outcome of pregnancy due to injury.

Most types of examinations that are used in medicine to assess a patient's condition after injury are safe during pregnancy. Most often, women are concerned about the dangers of X-ray examination. Clinical studies show that x-rays of the pelvis, spine, and hips in the early stages of pregnancy (5-10 weeks) increase the rate of miscarriages and the occurrence of malformations. After 10 weeks, the effect of radiation is characterized by changes in the central nervous system of the fetus. The level of negative effects of radiation on the fetus depends on the radiation dose.

Computed tomography also carries an increased risk of radiation exposure, although to a lesser extent than x-rays. However, any type of examination that involves exposure to fetal radiation should be performed carefully and according to strict indications.

A very important issue that is often missed by both doctors and women is the prevention of Rh sensitization, which is popularly called Rh conflict. All pregnant women from 6 weeks of pregnancy with a Rh-negative blood group after injury are recommended to administer 300 mg of anti-Rhesus antibodies (immunoglobulins), since in such cases damage to the placenta cannot be ruled out.

According to indications, tetanus prophylaxis should be carried out in injured pregnant women. This type of vaccine is safe for pregnancy.

In almost 30% of cases with moderate injuries and in more than 60% of cases with severe injuries, pregnancy will end in termination with loss of the fetus, while minor injuries will not affect the course of pregnancy and its outcome. Up to 20% of pregnant women requiring hospital treatment lose their pregnancies, since hospital treatment is usually required only in severe cases. However, even minor trauma doubles the risk of premature birth. Up to 7% of pregnant women require a cesarean section soon after injury.

Prevention of all types of injuries and damage in pregnant women is no different from that in other people. More attention is paid to the prevention of falls, so all women, starting from the second half of pregnancy, are recommended to wear low-heeled shoes, be extra careful when using stairs, limit sudden movements, as well as physical activity that is accompanied by a high risk of falling (biking, skating, skiing, horse riding, jumping, running, etc.). When in transport, with the exception of public transport, a pregnant woman must wear seat belts. Physical violence and abuse of power must be promptly identified and suppressed by all appropriate measures, including the intervention of law enforcement agencies, social services, family counselors and other professionals.

In general, minor injuries do not have an adverse effect on pregnancy, and the woman calmly gives birth to a healthy, full-term baby.

It has been established that the severity of electrical injury depends on several indicators:

• type of current: alternating current is used in everyday life, direct current is used in resuscitation defibrillators;
• current strength, which is measured by voltage and power;
• how long the contact lasted;
• what tissues did the electricity pass through?
• the body's ability to resist damage.

Contact with electricity does not specifically affect the fetus, but the entire body of the pregnant woman. Brief contact with a faulty socket or damaged cord of an electrical appliance, which is accompanied by tingling in the fingers and a burning sensation, will not lead to serious consequences.

The severity of tissue damage depends on the strength of the current. The higher it is and the higher the network voltage, the worse the consequences. If the voltage is more than 500 V, which can happen in production conditions, then deep burns occur in the area of ​​contact with the device. If an injury occurs from a household appliance with a voltage of 220 V, then a strong muscle spasm and a “freezing” effect to the device occurs.

The part of the body that is exposed to dangerous effects is of great importance. If a high-power electric current passes from the arm to the arm or leg, then along the way it can affect the pregnant woman’s heart, which will lead to arrhythmia, fibrillation and possible arrest. Passing through the head leads to severe damage to the nervous system of the pregnant woman.

The fetus is affected secondarily as a result of circulatory problems in the mother. But the impact on the immature nervous system of the fetus and its heart can also lead to disastrous consequences.

Electric shock in early pregnancy

Brief contact with low-intensity electric current in early gestation will not lead to pregnancy complications. The danger comes from extensive damage, which results in thermal or electrochemical damage to internal organs.

Important! The severity of the lesion cannot be determined by the severity of external burns. If they are not present, then damage to internal organs cannot be completely ruled out.

Consequences of electric shock during pregnancy

High-power electrical trauma during pregnancy triggers the following pathological mechanisms:

• hemolysis;
• protein coagulation;
• coagulative muscle necrosis;
• vascular thrombosis;
• dehydration;
• separation of muscles and tendons due to severe spasm.

First, swelling increases in the tissues, and blood clots in the vessels. The result is compartment syndrome: due to edema and lack of blood flow to the tissues, their ischemia increases and necrosis develops.

Lack of fluid in the bloodstream (hypovolemia) leads to a sharp drop in blood pressure. This causes disruption of the uteroplacental blood flow, which often ends in miscarriage or intrauterine fetal death due to acute hypoxia.

Destructive changes in muscles lead to the release of myoglobin and electrolyte imbalance. For a pregnant woman, this threatens kidney damage and the development of acute renal failure.

Severe electric shock is accompanied by burns on the skin. But cardiac arrest can occur without noticeable damage to the skin. For example, during an impact in the bathroom, when a woman’s body is wet and there is contact with a working hair dryer.

When the nervous system is damaged, a pregnant woman may experience various neurological disorders, which depend on the area of ​​impact and the site of damage to the brain or spinal cord. Sometimes hidden complications of electrical injury may not manifest themselves for a long time and are discovered after several years.

Stomach hurts after electric shock during pregnancy

The consequences can be not only electrical injury, but also a fall, injury from a blunt object, which ends in a bruise or fracture. The danger comes from falling on your stomach in the later stages.

A pregnant woman needs to lie down and relax after an injury. If you feel pain in the abdomen, you need to listen to the behavior of the fetus. To exclude severe complications due to abdominal pain, it is recommended to consult a doctor. For up to 27 weeks, ultrasound is performed as a diagnosis, later CTG is performed, which can be supplemented with ultrasound.

Emergency medical care is required in the following cases:

• from the genital tract;
• prolonged weakness;
• a sharp decrease in blood pressure and tachycardia;
• visible injuries and damage.

Electric shock during pregnancy planning

Electrical shock before pregnancy is accompanied by similar complications and consequences. The impact of a small force does not affect the functioning of the ovaries or the menstrual cycle.

Severe electrical trauma, which triggers a chain of electrolyte changes and thermal damage to internal organs, causes kidney damage and heart rhythm disturbances.

Electric shock to a man and conception

Low voltage electrical shock for a man will not cause disruption of sperm maturation. The danger comes from strong and prolonged exposure, which can lead to fibrillation and cardiac arrest.

The direct effect of electricity on sperm production has not been studied. With electrical trauma, the impact is often on the arms or legs, so the consequences manifest themselves in the form of disruption of the heart, nervous system or kidneys.

It is important to remember that there is a risk of electrical injury from any household appliance. To prevent this from ending in death, you must follow basic rules of use.

Yulia Shevchenko, obstetrician-gynecologist, especially for the site

Useful video

Every person has experienced an electric shock at least once in their life. This is a fairly common household incident, which most often ends in mild fright and barely noticeable burns on the fingers. Nevertheless, we all instinctively fear electrical discharges and try to avoid contact with them, since they pose a serious danger even to completely healthy people. What to do if you get an electric shock during pregnancy? Every expectant mother, finding herself in a similar situation, experiences great anxiety about how contact with electricity can affect the child’s condition.

How dangerous are electric shocks during pregnancy?

Breakdowns of electrical appliances, accidental contact of water with wires and other minor malfunctions - all this creates the risk of electric shock in your own apartment. It is very difficult to completely exclude the possibility of this event: even while doing ordinary things around the house, you can suddenly receive a small electric shock. Therefore, pregnant women encounter such situations no less often than others.

It’s worth noting right away that there is no great risk to the fetus from electrical injuries at home (this is confirmed by many gynecologists). Moreover, if the woman herself was not injured and feels well. The danger of electric shock depends mainly on the strength of the voltage: it is one thing to receive a shock from a high-voltage wire, and quite another to touch a damaged iron cord. It is unlikely to receive a strong discharge from a 220 V home network: mostly these are weak shocks that cause rapid heartbeat, trembling of hands, increased muscle tone and barely noticeable burns in places of contact with the source.

Naturally, after an electric shock, women begin to carefully listen to the behavior of the fetus. Some people note that they have begun to move more than usual, while others notice a decrease in activity. If the child moves the same way as before, then everything is fine with him and there is no need to worry. By the way, the increased activity of the fetus may be associated not so much with the electric shock, but with the stress that the woman experiences in this situation.

And yet, only a specialist can give an accurate conclusion. It is recommended to consult a doctor and conduct additional examination even if nothing bothers you. If for some reason you decide not to go to the hospital right away, then you should at least talk about what happened at your next appointment at the antenatal clinic.

What should you do if a pregnant woman receives a strong electric shock? The answer is obvious: you need to go to the hospital without delay. If your heart rhythm is abnormal or even temporary loss of consciousness occurs, call an ambulance immediately.

What consequences can electric shock have on the fetus?

It is immediately worth noting that there is still no accurate data on the effect of electric current on the fetus. The fact is that special research on this matter has never been conducted. Although such situations happen quite often, especially at a time when women go on maternity leave and are actively preparing for the birth of a child.

Nevertheless, even mild electrical injuries during pregnancy require mandatory monitoring of the fetal condition. Whether the electric shock will pass without leaving a trace or will have some consequences depends on several factors:

• how strong the electric shock was (did it occur upon contact with a home network with a voltage of 220 volts or was it a high-voltage source);
• how long was the contact with the current source;
• where exactly did the blow land: the fingertips were slightly “stung” or the current passed through the entire half of the body.

Necessary examinations

The first thing the doctor does in such situations is listen to the fetal heartbeat. Most often this is enough. If the heart rhythm is not disturbed and movement can be traced, further examination is not prescribed. The woman is sent home and advised to monitor her well-being and the child’s behavior. It is possible that in the later stages such an injury will lead to a premature onset of labor, especially if it was received at 35 weeks or later.

In some cases, the doctor may prescribe an unscheduled ultrasound. This procedure may not be very useful, but it is the only one that will 100% help make sure that the fetus is in perfect order. For example, if it “quiets”, i.e. no movements can be heard. This situation occurs quite often, and usually the child begins to move after a few hours. And of course, it would be useful to check the heart rhythm of the pregnant woman herself using an ECG.

In late pregnancy, CTG (cardiotocography) can be performed instead of ultrasound. The fetal heart rate at the time of examination may be slightly slow, but a single change in heart rate does not give rise to any conclusions. If the heartbeat later returns to normal, it means that the electric shock did not affect the health of the unborn child and there is no reason to worry.

A pathology is considered to be a slowing of the fetal heart rate to 110 beats per minute - this is a reason for urgent hospitalization. In the future, the fetal heart rate will need to be constantly monitored. There should not be a regular change in heart rate, but if such a picture is observed, then after the birth of the child, the doctor may prescribe an in-depth examination by a cardiologist.

Important: you can independently monitor the fetal heartbeat at home - using a medical stethoscope.

Fetal death can occur only in the most severe cases, with severe electrical shock. But this applies mainly to those cases where contact has occurred with high-voltage conductors (for example, with wires on the street).

Electric shock in early pregnancy

What if you got an electric shock during early pregnancy? In the first trimester, the expectant mother's body is most susceptible to any external influence. However, household electrical injuries during pregnancy also do not pose a serious danger to the life and health of the fetus. Many people have noticed that the abdominal muscles seem to turn to stone after an electric shock - this is a normal phenomenon.

What can be said about contact with high-voltage wires? A strong electrical discharge can cause strong contractions of the uterus and miscarriage (especially in cases where the tone of the uterus is increased in general). Therefore, if you experience an early electric shock, you should immediately seek medical help.

Finally, we note once again that in most cases, electric shocks do not affect the course of pregnancy or the subsequent health of the child. This also applies to developmental features: no relationship between electrical injuries during pregnancy and the child’s abilities has yet been identified. Nevertheless, it is still worth going to the hospital. This is required in order to be 100% sure that everything is in order. And of course, you should repair all electrical appliances in the house so that this situation does not happen again in the future.

It has been established that the severity of electrical injury depends on several indicators:

• type of current: alternating current is used in everyday life, direct current is used in resuscitation defibrillators;
• current strength, which is measured by voltage and power;
• how long the contact lasted;
• what tissues did the electricity pass through?
• the body's ability to resist damage.

Contact with electricity does not specifically affect the fetus, but the entire body of the pregnant woman. Brief contact with a faulty socket or damaged cord of an electrical appliance, which is accompanied by tingling in the fingers and a burning sensation, will not lead to serious consequences.

The severity of tissue damage depends on the strength of the current. The higher it is and the higher the network voltage, the worse the consequences. If the voltage is more than 500 V, which can happen in production conditions, then deep burns occur in the area of ​​contact with the device. If an injury occurs from a household appliance with a voltage of 220 V, then a strong muscle spasm and a “freezing” effect to the device occurs.

The part of the body that is exposed to dangerous effects is of great importance. If a high-power electric current passes from the arm to the arm or leg, then along the way it can affect the pregnant woman’s heart, which will lead to arrhythmia, fibrillation and possible arrest. Passing through the head leads to severe damage to the nervous system of the pregnant woman.

The fetus is affected secondarily as a result of circulatory problems in the mother. But the impact on the immature nervous system of the fetus and its heart can also lead to disastrous consequences.

Electric shock in early pregnancy

Brief contact with low-intensity electric current in early gestation will not lead to pregnancy complications. The danger comes from extensive damage, which results in thermal or electrochemical damage to internal organs.

Important! The severity of the lesion cannot be determined by the severity of external burns. If they are not present, then damage to internal organs cannot be completely ruled out.

Consequences of electric shock during pregnancy

High-power electrical trauma during pregnancy triggers the following pathological mechanisms:

• hemolysis;
• protein coagulation;
• coagulative muscle necrosis;
• vascular thrombosis;
• dehydration;
• separation of muscles and tendons due to severe spasm.

First, swelling increases in the tissues, and blood clots in the vessels. The result is compartment syndrome: due to edema and lack of blood flow to the tissues, their ischemia increases and necrosis develops.

Lack of fluid in the bloodstream (hypovolemia) leads to a sharp drop in blood pressure. This causes disruption of the uteroplacental blood flow, which often ends in miscarriage or intrauterine fetal death due to acute hypoxia.

Destructive changes in muscles lead to the release of myoglobin and electrolyte imbalance. For a pregnant woman, this threatens kidney damage and the development of acute renal failure.

Severe electric shock is accompanied by burns on the skin. But cardiac arrest can occur without noticeable damage to the skin. For example, during an impact in the bathroom, when a woman’s body is wet and there is contact with a working hair dryer.

When the nervous system is damaged, a pregnant woman may experience various neurological disorders, which depend on the area of ​​impact and the site of damage to the brain or spinal cord. Sometimes hidden complications of electrical injury may not manifest themselves for a long time and are discovered after several years.

Stomach hurts after electric shock during pregnancy

The consequences can be not only electrical injury, but also a fall, injury from a blunt object, which ends in a bruise or fracture. The danger comes from falling on your stomach in the later stages.

A pregnant woman needs to lie down and relax after an injury. If you feel pain in the abdomen, you need to listen to the behavior of the fetus. To exclude severe complications due to abdominal pain, it is recommended to consult a doctor. For up to 27 weeks, ultrasound is performed as a diagnosis, later CTG is performed, which can be supplemented with ultrasound.

Emergency medical care is required in the following cases:

• from the genital tract;
• prolonged weakness;
• a sharp decrease in blood pressure and tachycardia;
• visible injuries and damage.

Electric shock during pregnancy planning

Electrical shock before pregnancy is accompanied by similar complications and consequences. The impact of a small force does not affect the functioning of the ovaries or the menstrual cycle.

Severe electrical trauma, which triggers a chain of electrolyte changes and thermal damage to internal organs, causes kidney damage and heart rhythm disturbances.

Electric shock to a man and conception

Low voltage electrical shock for a man will not cause disruption of sperm maturation. The danger comes from strong and prolonged exposure, which can lead to fibrillation and cardiac arrest.

The direct effect of electricity on sperm production has not been studied. With electrical trauma, the impact is often on the arms or legs, so the consequences manifest themselves in the form of disruption of the heart, nervous system or kidneys.

It is important to remember that there is a risk of electrical injury from any household appliance. To prevent this from ending in death, you must follow basic rules of use.

Yulia Shevchenko, obstetrician-gynecologist, especially for the site

Useful video