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Researchers Identify Actionable Recommendations to Support Childbearing Otolaryngology Residents

by Linda Kossoff •

What do childbearing otolaryngology residents experience during pregnancy, and how can they best be supported during this major life event?

BOTTOM LINE

Actionable changes could better support pregnant otolaryngology residents in having a healthy perinatal experience with no impact on board pass rates, case volumes, or competency, and help develop the best and most diverse applicant pool possible.

BACKGROUND: Family planning is an increasingly important component of otolaryngology recruitment and retention. More residents enter training later in life, and it may not be biologically feasible for them to delay childbearing beyond residency. However, parental leave policies in residency vary greatly, and half of otolaryngology programs have no policy in place.

STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative research.

SETTING: Department of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, Wash.

SYNOPSIS: Researchers recruited 16 current and former otolaryngology residents who experienced pregnancy and childbirth during residency in four U.S. geographic regions in the past 10 years to undergo individual structured qualitative interviews. Based on existing literature, questions addressed the topics of pregnancy, postpartum period, maternity leave, and return to work. Subjects’ overall experience, as well as issues of timing, scheduling, returning to work (including childcare and breastfeeding needs), and colleagues/faculty reactions, were explored. Participants shared positive enabling factors, role models, lessons learned, and recommendations for improvements. Responses revealed multiple recurring themes: increased incidence of pregnancy complications and preterm labor, pregnancy stigma from leadership and coresidents, scheduling logistics regarding call and parental leave, and challenging transitions back to clinical work while navigating breastfeeding and childcare. Noting that women otolaryngologists have the highest infertility rate (29%) among all surgical specialties and tend to delay childbearing at higher rates, authors list a set of actionable recommendations that include a supportive culture, identification of role models, adequate leave policies, appropriate breastfeeding accommodations, and resource advocates. Study limitations included potential participants declining involvement due to fear of retaliation.

CITATION: Champaloux EP, Acosta AS, Gray ST, et al. Otolaryngology residents’ experiences of pregnancy and return to work: A multisite qualitative study. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol. 2022;7:1322–1328.