Pregnancy during pediatric residency. Attitudes and complications
J. L. Klevan, J. C. Weiss and S. M. Dabrow
Department of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19107.
Questionnaires were mailed to 116 female physicians who completed their
pediatric training within the last 5 years. The questionnaire contained
items focusing on (1) maternal complications, (2) health of the infant, and
(3) attitudes toward the pregnancy experience. Thirty-five (38%) of the 93
respondents were pregnant during their residency. Seventeen complications
occurred in 14 (36%) of the 39 pregnancies. Of the 17 complications, 6
(35%) were serious enough to require hospitalization. Complications
resulted in time lost from work in 40% (15/39) of the pregnancies. When
asked to describe the experience of being pregnant during residency, only
24% felt that it was "pleasant," while 52% said the experience was
"tolerable" and 24% found it "miserable"! Thirty-seven percent (13/35)
stated that they would not get pregnant during residency if they had it to
do over again.
