Gupta Mihir, Reichl Allison, Diaz-Aguilar Luis Daniel, Duddleston Pate J, Ullman Jamie S, Muraszko Karin M, Timmons Shelly D, Germano Isabelle M, Abosch Aviva, Sweet Jennifer A, Pannullo Susan C, Benzil Deborah L, Ben-Haim Sharona
1Department of Neurosurgery and.
2School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California.
J Neurosurg. 2020 May 29;134(3):1325-1333. doi: 10.3171/2020.2.JNS193345. Print 2021 Mar 1.
Despite recently heightened advocacy efforts relating to pregnancy and family leave policies in multiple surgical specialties, no studies to date have described female neurosurgeons' experiences with childbearing. The AANS/CNS Section of Women in Neurosurgery created the Women and Pregnancy Task Force to ascertain female neurosurgeons' experiences with and attitudes toward pregnancy and the role of family leave policies.
A voluntary online 28-question survey examined the pregnancy experiences of female neurosurgeons and perceived barriers to childbearing. The survey was developed and electronically distributed to all members of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons who self-identified as female in February 2016. Responses from female resident physicians, fellows, and current or retired practicing neurosurgeons were analyzed.
A total of 126 women (20.3%) responded to the survey; 57 participants (49%) already had children, and 39 (33%) planned to do so. Participants overwhelmingly had or planned to have children during the early practice and senior residency years. The most frequent obstacles experienced or anticipated included insufficient time to care for newborns (47% of women with children, 92% of women planning to have children), discrimination by coworkers (31% and 77%, respectively), and inadequate time for completion of board requirements (18% and 51%, respectively). There was substantial variability in family leave policies, and a minority of participants (35%) endorsed the presence of any formal policy at their institution. Respondents described myriad unique challenges associated with pregnancy and family leave.
Pregnancy and family leave pose significant challenges to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in neurosurgery. It is thus imperative to promote clear family leave policies for trainees and practitioners, address discrimination surrounding these topics, and encourage forethought and flexibility to tackle obstacles inherent in pregnancy and the early stages of child rearing.
尽管近期多个外科专业领域针对怀孕和产假政策的宣传力度有所加大，但迄今为止尚无研究描述女性神经外科医生的生育经历。神经外科女性医师协会/中枢神经系统女性神经外科分会成立了女性与怀孕特别工作组，以确定女性神经外科医生的生育经历、对怀孕的态度以及产假政策的作用。
一项自愿参与的在线28题调查问卷，调查了女性神经外科医生的怀孕经历以及她们认为的生育障碍。该调查问卷由神经外科女性医师协会/中枢神经系统女性神经外科分会编制，并于2016年2月以电子方式分发给美国神经外科医师协会和神经外科医师大会中所有自我认定为女性的成员。对女性住院医师、研究员以及现任或退休的执业神经外科医生的回复进行了分析。
共有126名女性（20.3%）回复了调查问卷；57名参与者（49%）已经育有子女，39名（33%）计划生育。绝大多数参与者在早期执业阶段和高级住院医师阶段已经生育或计划生育。最常遇到或预期会遇到的障碍包括照顾新生儿的时间不足（已育有子女的女性中有47%，计划生育的女性中有92%）、同事的歧视（分别为31%和77%）以及完成委员会要求的时间不足（分别为18%和51%）。产假政策存在很大差异，少数参与者（35%）认可所在机构有任何正式政策。受访者描述了与怀孕和产假相关的众多独特挑战。
怀孕和产假对神经外科领域女性的招聘、留用和职业发展构成重大挑战。因此，必须为实习生和从业者制定明确的产假政策，解决围绕这些话题的歧视问题，并鼓励提前规划和灵活性，以应对怀孕和育儿早期阶段固有的障碍。
