Family Planning During Pregnancy:
Family planning typically refers to the conscious decision-making and practices individuals or couples use to determine the number and spacing of their children. It involves considerations about contraception, reproductive health, and timing of pregnancies. During an existing pregnancy, the focus shifts to prenatal care and the health of the mother and developing fetus.
Here are key points related to family planning during pregnancy:
Prenatal Care:
Once a woman is pregnant, family planning transitions to prenatal care, which involves regular medical check-ups, monitoring, and support to ensure a healthy pregnancy.
Contraception Postpartum:
Family planning discussions during pregnancy may include considerations for contraception after childbirth. Healthcare providers often discuss contraceptive options suitable for the postpartum period.
Preconception Health:
For individuals planning future pregnancies, addressing preconception health is important. This involves optimizing health before getting pregnant to enhance the chances of a healthy pregnancy.
Counseling and Education:
Healthcare providers offer counseling and education on various aspects of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum care. This includes information on nutrition, prenatal vitamins, and potential lifestyle adjustments.
Neurosurgical Practice During Pregnancy:
If a woman who is a neurosurgeon becomes pregnant, several considerations are relevant:
Occupational Exposures:
Neurosurgeons may be exposed to radiation during certain procedures. Pregnant neurosurgeons should take precautions to minimize radiation exposure and use protective equipment.
Physical Strain:
Neurosurgical procedures can be physically demanding. Pregnant neurosurgeons may need to modify certain aspects of their practice to reduce physical strain and ensure their well-being and the well-being of the developing fetus.
Work Schedule:
Adjustments to work schedules may be necessary to accommodate the physical demands and potential fatigue associated with pregnancy. Patient Safety:
Ensuring patient safety remains a top priority. Pregnant neurosurgeons work closely with their medical teams to balance patient care with their health considerations.
Consultation with Healthcare Providers:
Regular consultations with obstetricians and other healthcare providers are crucial to monitor the health of both the pregnant neurosurgeon and the developing fetus.
Maternity Leave Planning:
Neurosurgeons may need to plan for maternity leave and discuss coverage for their clinical responsibilities during their absence. It's important for healthcare professionals, including neurosurgeons, to communicate openly with their healthcare teams about their pregnancy and work collaboratively to ensure the well-being of both the medical professional and the patient.
Individuals who are both pregnant and involved in neurosurgical practice should receive personalized advice and guidance from their healthcare providers to address specific health and occupational considerations. Work and health considerations during pregnancy can vary, and decisions should be made in consultation with healthcare professionals who are familiar with the individual's unique circumstances.
Family and work have immensely changed and become intertwined over the past half century for both man and women. Additionally, alongside to traditional family structures prevalent, other forms of families such as single parents, LGBTQ + parents, and bonus families are becoming more common. Previous studies have shown that surgical trainees regularly leave residency when considering becoming a parent due to the negative stigma associated with pregnancy during training, dissatisfaction with parental leave options, inadequate lactation, and childcare support, and desire for greater mentorship on work-life integration. Indeed, parenthood is one of the factors contributing to attrition in surgical specialties, neurosurgery not being an exception.
The Diversity in Neurosurgery Committee (DC) of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (EANS) recognizes the challenges individuals face in parenthood with neurosurgery and wishes to address them in a white paper.
Vayssiere et al. will focus on the issues of family planning and neurosurgical practice during pregnancy in an itemized fashion based on an exhaustive literature search and will make recommendations to address the matters raised.
Potential solutions would be to further improve the work-family time ratio as well as improve working conditions in the hospital.
While many obstacles have been quoted in the literature about parenthood in medicine, and neurosurgery specifically, initiatives can and should be undertaken to ensure not only retention of colleagues but also to increase productivity and job satisfaction of those seeking to combine neurosurgery and family life, regardless of their sexual identity and orientation 1)