title: Personnel-itis: a myth or a pathology? A retrospective analysis of obstetrical and perinatal outcomes for physicians and nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether medical personnel differ from the general population in obstetrical and perinatal outcomes.
  
  
  METHODS
  The participants comprised 46 physicians and 116 nurses employed at one medical center who gave birth in its maternity hospital. General medical and obstetrical data on their latest ("index") pregnancy and delivery were extracted from real-time computerized patient files. The control group included 162 women who gave birth during the same period in the same hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study group had significantly more deliveries, cesarean sections, and terminations of pregnancy prior to the index pregnancy. The medical personnel conceived significantly more often with assisted reproductive technologies (ART) (18.8% vs. 8% for controls, P<0.05), and had significantly more obstetrical complications, i.e., premature contractions, gestational diabetes mellitus, preeclamptic toxemia, and 2nd/3rd trimester bleeding or chorioamnionitis (42.5% vs. 29% for controls, P<0.05). The rate of vaginal birth after cesarean delivery (VBAC) was lower in the study group (22.2% vs. 33.3% for controls, P=0.03). There was no difference in gestational age at delivery, birth weight, or adverse neonatal outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medical personnel utilized ART more frequently and had more pregnancy complications as well as a lower incidence of VBAC than non-personnel. Neonatal outcomes were similar for both groups.
authors.forename: Ziv
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tsafrir
authors.forename: Jesica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ascher-Landsberg
authors.forename: Meir
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ezra
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kupferminc
authors.forename: Sharon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maslovitz
authors.forename: Ishai
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Levin
authors.forename: Ariel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Many
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000328:Adult; D002585:Cesarean Section / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D009726:Nurses / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010820:Physicians / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012189:Retrospective Studies