First Trimester vs Second and Third Trimester trauma: Which statement is true?

• A. First trimester: the uterus is well protected and rarely damaged from trauma.
• B. Second and third trimesters: the uterus is best protected.
• C. The uterus is equally vulnerable in all trimesters.
• D. Trauma does not affect the uterus at any time.

Answer: (A)

In pregnancy, the protection of the uterus changes as it grows. In the first trimester the uterus sits low in the pelvis and remains largely shielded by the bony pelvic girdle, so blunt abdominal trauma is less likely to injure it. As pregnancy advances into the second and third trimesters, the uterus enlarges and rises into the abdomen, becoming more exposed to external forces and more vulnerable to injury to both mother and fetus. That makes the statement about the first trimester uterus being well protected the best, because the protection decreases with advancing gestation. The other ideas aren’t accurate: trauma can affect the uterus in later trimesters as it becomes less protected, and vulnerability is not the same across all stages of pregnancy.