Continue to follow up for monitoring with your healthcare provider. Healthcare providers can treat injuries and can check the pregnancy by drawing blood, performing an ultrasound, performing diagnostic imaging, monitoring the baby’s heart rate, and checking for uterine contractions. You should call 911 or go to an emergency room for treatment of serious physical trauma (bodily injuries). What should I do if I experience trauma during pregnancy? It is not known if trauma increases the chance for behavior or learning issues for the child. People who experience trauma in pregnancy are also at increased risk to develop post-traumatic stress disorder.ĭoes experiencing trauma in pregnancy affect future behavior or learning for the child? This is thought to be a leading cause of pregnancy loss and stillbirth after trauma in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. Placental abruption is a serious condition in which the placenta pulls away from the uterus. One study of 62 people who were hospitalized for car accidents in the first trimester of pregnancy did not find a higher chance for birth defects than in the general population.ĭoes experiencing trauma in pregnancy increase the chance of other pregnancy-related problems?Īmong people who were pregnant and experienced domestic violence, studies have found an increased chance for preterm delivery (birth before week 37) and low birth weight (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces at birth).Īnother concern with trauma is for placental abruption, which can occur with trauma to the abdomen such as in domestic violence or car accidents. While there are individual reports of babies born with and without birth defects following trauma, it is unclear if trauma increases the chance for birth defects above the background risk. Miscarriage or late pregnancy loss can happen with some types of trauma, especially those that affect the placenta (an organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy that provides oxygen and nutrients to the growing baby) or the uterus.ĭoes experiencing trauma increase the chance of birth defects?Įvery pregnancy starts with a 3-5% chance of having a birth defect.

It is not known if experiencing trauma can make it harder to get pregnant.ĭoes experiencing trauma increase the chance for miscarriage? Can it make it harder for me to get pregnant? For a discussion of the mental/emotional side of trauma, see our fact sheet on Stress during Pregnancy at. Pregnancy outcomes may be different based on the type of trauma experienced and the severity of the trauma. Trauma can be caused by sudden physical injury, such as being in a major car accident, taking a bad fall, being burned, or being a victim of violence or from mental/emotional stress. Trauma can include damage to both your body and/or your mind. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. This sheet is about exposure to trauma in pregnancy and while breastfeeding.

Signs of birth trauma