Should Pregnant Women Be Warned About the Health Risks of Driving?

When you tell people you’re pregnant, the first thing you get is advice. It comes from friends, from relatives, from books, from your doctor, from random people on the street, from signs and warnings on various products. Do this. Don’t do that. Avoid drinking alcohol. Steer clear of second-hand smoke (or god forbid, first-hand). Don’t drink too much caffeine. Consult a physician on every medication you take, whether over-the-counter or prescription. Don’t eat sushi. Skip unpasteurized cheeses. Think twice before you get on a roller coaster.

But one thing no one says to you is this: don’t drive or ride in a personal motor vehicle if you can avoid it. Or at least, no one said it to me. No one told me the proper way to wear a seatbelt while pregnant, either.