Reproductive risk factors, pregnancy characteristics and obstetric outcome in female doctors.

OBJECTIVES

To compare maternal risk factors, pregnancy characteristics and outcome in female doctors, teachers, and the general obstetric population.

DESIGN

We analysed obstetric outcomes among 331 female doctors and 656 teachers with singleton pregnancies who gave birth at Kuopio University Hospital from March 1989 to December 2000. The general obstetric population (n = 21,997) was selected as the reference group and logistic regression analysis was used to assess pregnancy outcomes in each group separately.

RESULTS

Reproductive risk factors among female doctors and teachers were similar to those in the general obstetric population with the exception of advanced maternal age, number of previous terminations, marital status, maternal smoking, obesity, infertility treatment and pre-eclampsia. Interestingly, the number of operative deliveries did not vary between the groups. Pregnancy outcome among doctors and teachers was comparable with that in the general population.

CONCLUSIONS

Although doctors and teachers appear to represent a group of health-conscious women, obstetricians do not vary their management of pregnant doctors and teachers during pregnancy and labour.