Study Reveals Disparity Between Male and Female Residents in the Experiences of Pregnancy and Parenthood

A new study that surveyed more than 80% of all surgical residents in the United States found that female residents were more likely to suffer obstetric complications and postpartum depression than male residents’ partners.

Female residents were also more likely to experience pregnancy/parenthood-related mistreatment than male residents, and such mistreatment was associated with burnout, thoughts of leaving the profession, and thoughts of suicide. The findings are published in JAMA Surgery.

“This study is the most comprehensive assessment of the experience of pregnancy and parenthood in any specialty training program to date. Although many training programs have achieved gender parity, gender disparities related to the experience of parenthood during general surgery residency persist,” said senior author Erika Rangel, MD, MS, an acute care and gastrointestinal surgeon and the Associate Program Director for the General Surgery residency at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Anxiety and Depression are Important Risk Factors for Dangerous Deep Vein Blood Clots

Using a large clinical biobank of over 100,000 participants, a research team led by Rachel Rosovsky, MD, MPH, observed that an existing history of anxiety disorder and/or depression significantly elevated the risk of incident deep vein thrombosis, a serious condition in which a blood clot forms in a deep vein in the body.

The team also found that anxiety disorders and/or depression may increase DVT risk through heightened activation of stress-related pathways.

Based on these findings, anxiety disorders and depression should be viewed as important and independent risk factors for DVT, the team writes. Future research can look at different behavioral and pharmacological approaches to treat these disorders and subsequently reduce the risk of DVT.

Automated Appointment Scheduling and Reminder Messages May Improve Post-Partum Care for Chronic Health Conditions

In a clinical trial of women with chronic medical conditions who were pregnant or recently gave birth, a research team led by Mark Clapp, MD, MPH, tested an intervention involving automated scheduling of postpartum primary care visits.

In a study published in JAMA Network Open, the team shows that this approach increased women’s receipt of care and led to more blood pressure screenings, weight assessment, and depression screenings and could be a simple way to improve postpartum care and well-being.