Maternal Car Driving Capacity After Birth: A Pilot Prospective Study ...

Full text links CiteDisplay options Display options Format AbstractPubMedPMID

Abstract

Background: Women are commonly advised to avoid driving following cesarean section (CS), however, this advice is based upon little evidence.Aims: We aimed to assess a woman's capacity to drive a car postbirth using a driving simulator to objectively examine driving behavior and competencies.Materials and methods: We conducted a pilot, prospective, randomized study from a tertiary referral hospital in Sydney, Australia. Postnatal women who were regular drivers and had given birth by vaginal delivery (VD), elective cesarean section (ElCS) or emergency cesarean section (EmCS) were randomized to early (2-3 weeks post birth) or late (5-6 weeks post birth) driver simulator testing. Driving performance was measured by reaction time to simulated impediments, awareness, attention, braking ability, traffic infringements, and accidents. Analysis was by intention to treat. Outcomes were assessed using contingency analysis via two-sample t-tests and Wilcoxen rank-sum tests.Results: 66 women were randomized and 38 attended simulator testing (57.6%; 19 early, 19 late; 8 VD, 14 ElCS, 16 EmCS). There was no difference in reaction times, driver awareness, braking times, or traffic infringements by early versus late testing (all p > .05), nor by mode of birth (p > .05) amongst the women who completed driver testing. At 7-8 weeks, all women were driving, without an accident.Conclusions: Although the study is limited by small sample size, there was no difference in driving capability by early versus late driving time since birth, nor by mode of birth. Further research is needed, but we cannot provide evidence to discourage well women from driving from 2-3 weeks post birth.

Keywords: Cesarean section; driving; driving capacity; postoperative recovery.

PubMed Disclaimer

Publication types

• Multicenter Study Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Randomized Controlled Trial Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search

MeSH terms

• Accidents, Traffic / statistics & numerical data Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Adult Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Attention Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Automobile Driving / standards* Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Automobile Driving / statistics & numerical data Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Awareness Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Computer Simulation Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Delivery, Obstetric / statistics & numerical data Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Feasibility Studies Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Female Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Humans Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Pilot Projects Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Postpartum Period* Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Prospective Studies Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search
• Reaction Time Actions
  • Search in PubMed
  • Search in MeSH
  • Add to Search

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • Atypon

• Other Literature Sources

  • scite Smart Citations

• Medical

  • MedlinePlus Health Information