Outcomes of Pregnancy in Resident Physicians

To the Editor: The carefully designed and analyzed study of outcomes of pregnancy among female resident physicians by Dr. Klebanoff and colleagues at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (Oct. 11 issue) 1 provides important data about the effects on the reproductive system of working long hours during pregnancy in a physically demanding, stressful occupation. On the basis of their data, the authors conclude that such work has "little effect on the outcome of pregnancy in an otherwise healthy population of high socioeconomic status." Strictly speaking, their interpretation is correct: compared with the wives of male residents, the . . .