Comments on: Inventions: Wearing Seatbelts During Pregnancy

By: Jeff

Jeff — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 19:25:08 +0000

Please find the following information in question about Tummy Shield, if you have any question, commits and or suggestions please email: info@tummysheildusa.com

Test Lab that conducted testing on Tummy Shield: http://www.rta.nsw.gov.au/roadsafety/crashlab

Lead Engineer:
Tom Gibson BE MSc PhD CPEng

Actual Crash Test Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_xhJaTAUSU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMTUTFhkEB4

By: Beth Riley

Beth Riley — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 03:06:21 +0000

Wow, I can honestly say I hadn’t thought too much about the risks that could occur from wearing a seatbelt while pregnant. Being only 1 month along, I guess it hasn’t been a comfort factor or anything, but I am going to look into that tummy shield. Thanks.

By: Preg

Preg — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:04:28 +0000

Great article. I sure hope more reports and studies are done on these products. A couple of years ago a cousin of mine was in a serious accident, seven months pregnant, and lost her baby. Without getting into the details about the accident, there is no doubt in my mind that her baby may have been saved had the seat belt been fitted on her legs. We really need to get these products into the hands of pregnant women.

By: Pregnancy Pro

Pregnancy Pro — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:22:06 +0000

i can say from experience that the tummy shield works great. A little uncomfortable, but then again, being pregnant is “a little” uncomfortable.

By: MW

MW — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 14:57:15 +0000

An interesting device, though I’m not completely sold on its safety

By: Stacey

Stacey — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:15:27 +0000

Never heard of the tummy shield before. It looks very useful and could come in handy as well. Extending the seat belt length for pregnant ladies is not a bad idea either.

By: pregnant-mom

pregnant-mom — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:31:32 +0000

I didn’t know they weren’t tested extensively by the government. It is very important to position them correctly when your pregnant.

By: mwm

mwm — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 09:53:20 +0000

Maybe they should extend the length of the belts or invent something better for the pregnant ladies

By: Polina

Polina — Thu, 22 May 2008 14:10:30 +0000

It seems to me that this should be a definitely good thing, I clearly remember my pregnancy when each time I needed to fasten the seatbelts I was afraid that I can harm a child inside if any problem occurs…

By: Dr.MOZ

Dr.MOZ — Mon, 19 May 2008 19:08:14 +0000

Thanks for the comments Joe. The Tummy Shield testing status is listed as "Unknown/Unclear" because it references what appears to be an in-house test made by an undisclosed engineer. The inventor's note at the beginning of the 10 page pdf states mentions "extensive testing", but the engineer's name is withheld for "for privacy reasons".

I'm sure it's a great product, but they'll need to do more to win over most US consumers when it comes to safety concerns. Safety tests in the US typically refer to tests by outside non-profit groups, which can be easily verified by common government sources used by others in the industry. A link to the ADR study (on a ADR website) would be a good first step, and official tests conducted in each country they are sold in would be even better. In any case, please drop by again to post an update to your review. I'd love to know how it worked out after using it for a few months!

~ Dr.MOZ

By: Joe

Joe — Sun, 18 May 2008 11:36:14 +0000

I found the Tummy Shield article most interesting, you commented no test but I found a comprehensive test report on the company’s web site and it’s ADR compliant as requried by law in Australia that’s enough for me, we ordered one yesterday, I’ll keep you posted… Joey

By: kimT

kimT — Thu, 15 May 2008 01:26:32 +0000

I thought everything sold as “restraints” and other safety related products were tested by the government? I also thought toys were tested for lead before they were sold, so that shows what I know.