Pregnancy during residency: II. Obstetric complications.

Forty-three percent of women experiencing a pregnancy during a residency education program report medical complications. Analysis of questionnaires from 1197 respondents to a survey of 2000 female physicians indicates that the actual rate of medical and obstetric complications is no different from that in the general population except for the incidence of pregnancy-induced hypertension (12%). Although the incidence was similar for the three specialties studied (obstetrics-gynecology, psychiatry, and surgery), it is higher than that reported in the general population (5%). This may reflect an older maternal age.