A survey of 323 women cardiologists who were working while they were pregnant showed that nearly 75% experienced discriminatory maternity-leave practices, some of which were likely violations of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
More than 40% saw their salaries decreased during their year of pregnancy, 38% were required to perform extra service or call before taking maternity leave, exposing them to occupational hazards such as radiation, and 40% experienced a pregnancy complication, significantly higher than the general population and other medical specialties.
Additionally, of those who performed extra service or call, 18% were placed on bedrest before delivery, compared with 7.4% who did not perform extra service or call.
More than half of respondents reported that pregnancy negatively impacted their careers, and 42.4% said they experienced pressure to return to work and a delay in promotions, both illegal practices under the FMLA.
The survey is published in the March 22 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
Martha Gulati
"Childbearing is difficult for women in cardiology with more than double the rate of gestational complications of the US population, frequent income loss out of proportion to reduced productivity, and for nearly half, has an adverse impact on their career," lead author Martha Gulati, MD, University of Arizona, Phoenix, says in a statement.
