Pregnancy and Childbearing for Orthopaedic Surgeons: Challenges and Successful Support Initiatives

While female representation within surgical specialties is increasing, the field of orthopaedic surgery remains male-dominated. Residency, fellowship, and early career coincide with the childbearing years of female surgeons. Given the overlap between these critical career stages and years of childbearing, there has been a rise in articles characterizing the experiences and perceptions around childbearing and its impact on surgeons and their careers. Multiple studies have reported the alarmingly high rates of pregnancy complications, infertility, pregnancy loss, voluntary delay in childbearing, and postpartum depression in surgeons, including those in the field of orthopaedic surgery. However, perinatal complications are not the only barriers female orthopaedic surgeons may face should they decide to start a family alongside their career. Negative perceptions and lack of support from their colleagues and institutions have also been reported as commonplace. Limited but successful support programs, policies, and resources that are designed to support female surgeons and their partners have been created in North America. Successful support programs can be used to inspire institutional policies across North America to hopefully improve the pregnancy and childbirth experiences of orthopaedic surgeons.