Although states are not required to report fetal deaths in accident data, between 300 and 1,000 unborn babies die in car accidents each year.

This accident fatality rate is about four times the rate for victims between infancy and four years old, said Stefan Duma, head of the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Science (SBES).

However, in response to these numbers, Ford Motor Company has worked with SBES for the past three years to gather data in support of future development of a computer-aided model of a pregnant woman for virtual crash test simulations. The effort builds on 15 years of Ford research that helped lead to one of the first adult whole body computerized crash models. These virtual crash models combine advanced computer simulations and medical research to virtually test how crash forces affect the human body.

The model being developed could help Ford safety researchers better understand how crash forces specifically affect pregnant women. The "pregnant" crash test model would add to Ford's use of computerized adult test models in safety research. Computer models show how crash forces might injure skeletal structures, internal organs and even the brain. Starting in 2010, Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models will include owner's guide information and instructions specifically to help pregnant women buckle up properly.

The nearly complete Ford-funded research project with SBES is now expected to provide Ford's safety researchers with important data about pregnant women and their developing babies, such as abdominal shape and tissue properties. The data, collected by SBES, will help in the continuing development of the realistic "pregnant" human body model for virtual crash test simulation.

Duma said that despite the fact that the automobile industry is 15 years away from new technology that will help protect the unborn, "this project is another example of how industry and academia can work together to conduct important safety research."

"Women are often driving to work today much longer into their pregnancies, thus increasing chances of having an automobile accident. Researchers with the Virginia Tech-Wake Forest University School of Biomedical Engineering and Science and Ford Motor Company are investigating the development of improved safety devices to protect the fetus and the mother. (Credit: Virginia Tech Photo)"

Source: Virginia Tech