Skip to main content
The Western Journal of Medicine logoLink to The Western Journal of Medicine
. 1988 Dec;149(6):704–707.

Pregnancy complications of physicians.

V L Katz, N H Miller, W A Bowes Jr
PMCID: PMC1026619  PMID: 3074567

Abstract

Studies indicate an increased risk of adverse late pregnancy events, such as preterm labor and preterm delivery, for practicing physicians. These adverse pregnancy outcomes also occur among pregnant women who work long hours with high levels of psychological stress, a mechanism most likely related to catecholamine and posturally mediated alterations in uterine blood flow. Further evaluation and research into the epidemiology of physicians' pregnancies are needed because of the increasing number of women physicians in their childbearing years.

Full text

PDF
706

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Alegre A., Rodriguez-Escudero F. J., Cruz E., Prada M. Influence of work during pregnancy on fetal weight. J Reprod Med. 1984 May;29(5):334–336. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berkowitz G. S., Kelsey J. L., Holford T. R., Berkowitz R. L. Physical activity and the risk of spontaneous preterm delivery. J Reprod Med. 1983 Sep;28(9):581–588. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bonar J. W., Watson J. A., Koester L. S. Sex differences in career and family plans of medical students. J Am Med Womens Assoc. 1982 Nov;37(11):300-3, 308. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Clapp J. F., 3rd, Dickstein S. Endurance exercise and pregnancy outcome. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1984 Dec;16(6):556–562. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cohen E. N., Bellville J. W., Brown B. W., Jr Anesthesia, pregnancy, and miscarriage: a study of operating room nurses and anesthetists. Anesthesiology. 1971 Oct;35(4):343–347. doi: 10.1097/00000542-197110000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Corbett T. H., Cornell R. G., Endres J. L., Lieding K. Birth defects among children of nurse-anesthetists. Anesthesiology. 1974 Oct;41(4):341–344. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Crowley A. E., Etzel S. I., Petersen E. S. Undergraduate medical education. JAMA. 1986 Sep 26;256(12):1557–1564. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Dugowson C. E., Holland S. K. Physicians as patients--the use of obstetric technology in physician families. West J Med. 1987 Apr;146(4):494–496. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Dworsky M. E., Welch K., Cassady G., Stagno S. Occupational risk for primary cytomegalovirus infection among pediatric health-care workers. N Engl J Med. 1983 Oct 20;309(16):950–953. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198310203091604. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Fox M. E., Harris R. E., Brekken A. L. The active-duty military pregnancy: a new high-risk category. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1977 Nov 15;129(6):705–707. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(77)90662-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Franco K., Evans C. L., Best A. P., Zrull J. P., Pizza G. A. Conflicts associated with physicians' pregnancies. Am J Psychiatry. 1983 Jul;140(7):902–904. doi: 10.1176/ajp.140.7.902. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Gorsuch R. L., Key M. K. Abnormalities of pregnancy as a function of anxiety and life stress. Psychosom Med. 1974 Jul-Aug;36(4):352–362. doi: 10.1097/00006842-197407000-00009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Graves P. L., Thomas C. B. Correlates of midlife career achievement among women physicians. JAMA. 1985 Aug 9;254(6):781–787. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Greganti M. A., Fletcher S. W. House staff pregnancy in internal medicine residencies. Ann Intern Med. 1985 Jan;102(1):123–125. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-102-1-123. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Greiss F. C., Jr A clinical concept of uterine blood flow during pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol. 1967 Oct;30(4):595–604. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Greiss F. C., Jr, Gobble F. L., Jr Effect of sympathetic nerve stimulation on the uterine vascular bed. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1967 Apr 1;97(7):962–967. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(67)90524-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Grunebaum A., Minkoff H., Blake D. Pregnancy among obstetricians: a comparison of births before, during, and after residency. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1987 Jul;157(1):79–83. doi: 10.1016/s0002-9378(87)80350-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Hagan R. D., Diaz F. J., Horvath S. M. Plasma volume changes with movement to supine and standing positions. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1978 Sep;45(3):414–417. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1978.45.3.414. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Hayashi T. T., McIntyre-Seltman K. The role of gender in an obstetrics and gynecology residency program. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1987 Apr;156(4):769–777. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(87)90331-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Hemminki K., Mutanen P., Saloniemi I., Niemi M. L., Vainio H. Spontaneous abortions in hospital staff engaged in sterilising instruments with chemical agents. Br Med J (Clin Res Ed) 1982 Nov 20;285(6353):1461–1463. doi: 10.1136/bmj.285.6353.1461. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Joseph B. W. Another interpretation of residents' response to pregnancy. Am J Psychiatry. 1983 Feb;140(2):267–267. doi: 10.1176/ajp.140.2.aj1402267. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Knill-Jones R. P., Rodrigues L. V., Moir D. D., Spence A. A. Anaesthetic practice and pregnancy. Controlled survey of women anaesthetists in the United Kingdom. Lancet. 1972 Jun 17;1(7764):1326–1328. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(72)91048-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Mamelle N., Laumon B., Lazar P. Prematurity and occupational activity during pregnancy. Am J Epidemiol. 1984 Mar;119(3):309–322. doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a113750. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Manshande J. P., Eeckels R., Manshande-Desmet V., Vlietinck R. Rest versus heavy work during the last weeks of pregnancy: influence on fetal growth. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1987 Nov;94(11):1059–1067. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1987.tb02290.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. McDonald A. D., McDonald J. C., Armstrong B., Cherry N., Delorme C., D-Nolin A., Robert D. Occupation and pregnancy outcome. Br J Ind Med. 1987 Aug;44(8):521–526. doi: 10.1136/oem.44.8.521. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. McDonald R. L. The role of emotional factors in obstetric complications: a review. Psychosom Med. 1968 Mar-Apr;30(2):222–243. doi: 10.1097/00006842-196803000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Murphy J. F., Dauncey M., Newcombe R., Garcia J., Elbourne D. Employment in pregnancy: prevalence, maternal characteristics, perinatal outcome. Lancet. 1984 May 26;1(8387):1163–1166. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(84)91404-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Naeye R. L., Peters E. C. Working during pregnancy: effects on the fetus. Pediatrics. 1982 Jun;69(6):724–727. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Newton R. W., Webster P. A., Binu P. S., Maskrey N., Phillips A. B. Psychosocial stress in pregnancy and its relation to the onset of premature labour. Br Med J. 1979 Aug 18;2(6187):411–413. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.6187.411. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Saurel-Cubizolles M. J., Kaminski M., Llado-Arkhipoff J., Du Mazaubrun C., Estryn-Behar M., Berthier C., Mouchet M., Kelfa C. Pregnancy and its outcome among hospital personnel according to occupation and working conditions. J Epidemiol Community Health. 1985 Jun;39(2):129–134. doi: 10.1136/jech.39.2.129. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Sayres M., Wyshak G., Denterlein G., Apfel R., Shore E., Federman D. Pregnancy during residency. N Engl J Med. 1986 Feb 13;314(7):418–423. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198602133140705. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Schneider K. T., Bollinger A., Huch A., Huch R. The oscillating 'vena cava syndrome' during quiet standing--an unexpected observation in late pregnancy. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1984 Aug;91(8):766–771. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1984.tb04847.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Schwartz R. W. Pregnancy in physicians: characteristics and complications. Obstet Gynecol. 1985 Nov;66(5):672–676. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  34. Tafari N., Naeye R. L., Gobezie A. Effects of maternal undernutrition and heavy physical work during pregnancy on birth weight. Br J Obstet Gynaecol. 1980 Mar;87(3):222–226. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.1980.tb04523.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  35. Timio M., Gentili S., Pede S. Free adrenaline and noradrenaline excretion related to occupational stress. Br Heart J. 1979 Oct;42(4):471–474. doi: 10.1136/hrt.42.4.471. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Western Journal of Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES