Sleep-deprived new mothers are at considerable risk of crashing when they get behind the wheel, with a study by Queensland University of Technology revealing most have experienced "near misses" on the road as a result of post-partum fatigue.
Dr Kerry Armstrong and Dr Simon Smith, from QUT's Centre for Accident Research & Road Safety - Queensland (CARRS-Q), studied 24 southeast Queensland mothers aged 22 to 39 to investigate the impact fatigue has on new mums' everyday life functioning.
Dr Armstrong said contrary to previous research which indicated post-partum fatigue should disappear after six weeks, new mums still felt exhausted 12 weeks after giving birth.
The study found lifestyle changes, interrupted sleep, lack of routine and high levels of unpredictability, cumulatively led to fatigue which could at times be overwhelming.
"The mothers reported debilitating physical and mental effects, likening their experience to 'operating in a constant mental haze' feeling 'flu-like symptoms' and 'moving through the day like you're on autopilot'," Dr Armstrong said.
"Clearly this raises concerns for driving tasks which for an experienced driver is largely an automatic process."
Dr Armstrong said while most people accepted women with babies would be exhausted, up until now no-one had looked at what this meant for their safety on and off the road.
"To put the danger of fatigue into some sort of perspective; if someone is awake for 17 hours they have a driving performance similar to that of a person with a blood alcohol level of 0.05 per cent, and if they have been awake for 24 hours it is 0.1 per cent, or two times the legal driving limit," she said.
"This has serious implications for mothers suffering from interrupted sleep patterns, night after night and sometimes for several years."
Dr Armstrong said fatigue was a very real danger on our roads with tiredness contributing to one in three crashes.
"A particularly alarming aspect suggested a decrease in the mothers' reported awareness of their body's physical need for rest and the safety implications of fatigue," she said.
"Instead of resting, the mothers often 'pushed on' because tasks still needed to be done and the baby's needs still had to be met.
"When you have such precious cargo on board, mothers represent an at risk group which requires an intervention specifically targeting their needs."
Dr Armstrong said the findings from the study would be used to develop an information booklet to raise awareness on post-partum fatigue and injury, specifically aimed at new mums.
CARRS-Q is a member of QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation.
Media contacts:
Rachael Wilson, QUT media officer 07 3138 1150 or rachael.wilson@qut.edu.au.
Sandra Hutchinson, QUT media officer, 07 3138 2999 or s3.hutchinson@qut.edu.au
