Pregnancy during pediatric residency. Attitudes and complications.

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.