Major trauma in pregnant women during the summer

Background — Pregnant women represent a major challenge in trauma care because of the risks to both mother and child and because of the difficulties in following standard protocols.

Methods — We analyzed data for all pregnant women admitted to the hospital in Canada over 7 years to test whether major trauma still clustered in the summer despite their aversion toward alcohol, recklessness, and extreme sports.

Results — A total of 2,618 pregnant women sustained major trauma. The prevalence of pregnancy was marginally lower in summer than in winter (decrease, 3%; 95% confidence interval, 2–4%), whereas the incidence of major trauma in pregnant women was significantly higher in summer than in winter (increase, 12%; 95% confidence interval, 3–21%; p = 0.005). No evidence of offsetting decreases in severity appeared in analyses of length of stay, number of surgical procedures, or mortality.

Conclusion — We suggest that normal lifestyle choices contribute to an increased risk of major trauma during pregnancy and merit greater awareness throughout the year.