Greater Risk of Pregnancy Complications for Female Surgeons: A Cross-Sectional Electronic Survey

Abstract

Background: Female surgeons are exposed to physical and mental stressors that differ from those of other specialties. We aimed to assess whether female surgeons are more at risk of pregnancy complications than women in other medical specialties. Methods: We used a cross-sectional electronic survey of female physicians working in the French Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine who were pregnant between 2013 and 2018. A pregnancy complication was defined as the occurrence of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, fetal growth restriction, prematurity, fetal congenital malformation, stillbirth, or medical termination of the pregnancy. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the risk of pregnancy complications for female surgeons relative to women practicing in other medical specialties. Results: Among the 270 women included, 52 (19.3%) experienced pregnancy complications and 28 (10.4%) were surgeons. In the multivariate analysis, female surgeons had a higher risk of pregnancy complications: adjusted odds ratio = 3.53, 95% confidence interval [1.27–9.84]. Conclusion: Further research is necessary to identify the hazards specifically involved in the practice of surgery to be able to propose preventive actions targeted to female surgeons during their pregnancy.