[Complications of pregnancy in female anesthesiologists (author's transl)]

A questionnaire was sent out to the members of the German Society of Anesthesiology and Reanimation with the purpose to clarify whether there is an increased incidence of certain complications during pregnancy among anesthesiologists. The results obtained allow the tentative conclusion that there is a higher abortion rate. There was also an increase of premature deliveries and congenital malformations. Surprisingly, a significant increase in births of females was observed among female anesthesiologists (with or without exposure) and among the offspring of male anesthesiologists (with or without exposure). Therefore this observation cannot be related to the exposure in operating rooms. On the basis of these results and reports from literature it is not permissible to relate the incidence of these complications exclusively to the chronic inhalation of narcotic gases. Other covariables which might cause the complications were not considered in this study. Nevertheless in spite of these limitations narcotic gases should be removed from the atmosphere of operating theatres as completely as possible.