Survey: More Than One in 300 Women Have Given Birth in a Car
Experts Cite Traffic, Getting Lost and Poor Timing Among Common Causes
HOUSTON, May 8 -- For some moms, the days of playing chauffeur to their kids start really early ... sometimes even during birth!
Approximately one in every 300 women in the U.S. has given birth en route to the hospital or clinic, according to a new telephone survey conducted by Jiffy Lube International and Ipsos-U.S. Express, the omnibus polling division of market research firm Ipsos-Insight.
Statistics from those state health departments that account for births on the road indicate that they are more common in larger metropolitan areas such as Houston, Dallas-Ft. Worth and Los Angeles.
Eva Marie Avendano, clinical services coordinator for American Medical Response's South Florida division, cites heavy traffic, foul weather and poor planning as some reasons why expectant mothers give birth before reaching their destinations.
"Based on our own experiences, it could be anything from a lack of good pre-natal care, to not knowing the baby's specific due date, to not knowing who to call for a quick ride to the hospital, or even road and weather conditions," she said.
Captain Dana Richards of the Los Angeles County Fire Department concurred, citing his own experience with a woman who gave birth at a roadside gas station. "Ironically, we were at most one-half mile from the hospital. But the family did not know the way there and there was just no time left," he recalled.
Birthing Expert Advocates Preparedness, Staying Calm
Birthing expert Henci Goer offers some practical advice to expectant mothers who are concerned about giving birth in a car. She stresses pulling over to the side of the road, calling 911 for help and, above all else, staying calm.
"If the baby is coming fast, you are better off driving safely and pulling off the road rather than driving dangerously to try and get the mother to the hospital," she said. "The natural birthing process has worked safely for millions of years. You needlessly endanger the mother, the baby and everyone else on the road if you panic and start running red lights and weaving in and out of traffic."
Author of the book "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth," Ms. Goer suggests planning for the possibility of an emergency birth by keeping a few essential items -- such as clean towels or blankets, plastic bags or newspaper to protect the upholstery, and a cell phone -- in the car at all times. She also recommends practicing the route to the hospital or clinic both during the day and at night since "things can look different at night."
She also advises keeping at least a quarter tank of gas in the car. "This is no time to stop at the gas station because you're on empty," she said.
The Jiffy Lube(R) survey found that 15 percent of the mothers polled actually drove themselves to the hospital or clinic to give birth. Ms. Goer strongly urges against this unless there is absolutely no other safer alternative.
Women who want to learn more about preparing for an emergency birth in a car and driving safely during and after pregnancy can find additional tips on the new women's channel at www.jiffylube.com. The new section of the Jiffy Lube Web site also contains car care and safety information relevant to the lifestyles and needs of all women drivers.
"As a trusted source for convenient and reliable car care, our goal is to provide information to help keep drivers safe in any circumstance," said Jiffy Lube International senior vice president of marketing Anne Tawney.
Jiffy Lube(R), located on 2,200 of the busiest street corners in North America, is synonymous with convenient car care. The company pioneered the fast oil change industry in 1979 and today serves 30 million customers each year. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Jiffy Lube International is a wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Shell Oil Company . The current advertising and marketing campaign for Jiffy Lube(R), "The Well-Oiled Machine(SM)," exemplifies its commitment to excellence. Jiffy Lube(R) has been the top-ranked company in the Automotive category in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 for the last six years. To learn more about Jiffy Lube(R) and vehicle care, visit www.jiffylube.com.
Ipsos U.S. Express interviewed a representative sample of 1,000 U.S. adults nationwide by telephone from March 21-23, 2003. To ensure reliable and accurate representation of the total national adult population, completed interviews were weighted to known proportions for age, gender, geographic region, and race. On questions that were asked of females only, the margin of error is +/- 4.4%. The weighted percentage of women who said they had given birth in a car was 0.349%.
Contacts: Randy Kambic / Matt Paine Cone, Inc. 617/227-2111, ext. 8349 / 8314 rkambic@coneinc.com / mpaine@coneinc.com Cindy Landers Jiffy Lube International 713/546-6272 cindy.landers@pzlqs.com
