A majority of female cardiologists become pregnant during their careers, however, many face a number of challenges, some starting even before conception and continuing after their children are born, according to a Council Perspective from ACC's Women in Cardiology (WIC) Section recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. "The experience of pregnancy among cardiologists has never been investigated, though it is speculated that concerns surrounding pregnancy may deter women from choosing a career in cardiology," said author Amy Sarma, MD, MHS, et al. To learn more, the College's WIC Section conducted a voluntary anonymous survey of female cardiologists regarding their experiences with pregnancy, parenting and family planning. Predictably, only 10 percent of respondents agreed with the statement "my career did not influence my family planning." The remaining women identified with time constraints (60 percent), work/life balance (74 percent), pregnancy outcomes with respect to work hours (29 percent) and pregnancy outcomes with respect to occupational exposure (46 percent). "Strategies to improve the experience of pregnancy among female cardiologists are likely to improve the experience of the majority of women in cardiology and in doing so, hopefully attract more women to the field," asserted the authors. Read more on ACC.org.