Tasing can injure the unborn

Police need to be aware that they must not tase women that are or could be pregnant. The following study demonstrates the effect of electric shock on unborn fetuses. While tasers may not be as dangerous as other forms of electricity, there is no point in taking the risk of the avoidable injury or death of a fetus.

Rees reviewed the cases of four women who experienced electric shock during pregnancy. All four fetuses died: one due to spontaneous abortion in the first trimester; two ceased moving immediately after the injury and were aborted, and one died 3 days after delivery with burn marks on his body. Fatovich reviewed a series of 15 victims of electric shock during pregnancy published in the English literature. The fetuses died in 73% of cases, and there was only one normal pregnancy outcome. Leiberman et al reported on six pregnant women who suffered electric shock at home. In all cases, the current went from the hand to the foot, probably through the uterus, and all of the women felt fine after the incident. Three fetuses were stillborn, two within a week of the electric shock and one after 12 weeks. All had severe intrauterine growth retardation.
References:
Rees WD. Pregnant women struck by lightning. BMJ 1965;1:103-4. 
Fatovich DM. Electric shock in pregnancy. J Emerg Med 1993;11:175-7. 
Leiberman JR, Mazor M, Molcho J, Haiam E, Maor E, Insler V. Electrical accidents during pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol 1986;67(6):861-3.

We need to have laws in place to constrain law enforcement from tasing women. There are other methods of constraining women that does not involve this risk.

Please do what you can to address this very important issue.