One in 10 obstetricians considers giving up the practice because of guilt and anxiety over stillbirths and other infant deaths, according to a new survey.

Also, three-quarters of more than 800 doctors in a University of Michigan survey said the deaths take a large emotional toll.

"We know that stillbirth and infant death are traumatic events for families; this study suggests that they are also traumatic for the physician," said lead author Katherine Gold.

In the U.S., about 1.3 percent of pregnancies end in stillbirth or a death in the first year of life. So a typical obstetrician would deal with one or two deaths a year, as well as more than 20 miscarriages at earlier stages.

The survey also found that doctors worry about lawsuits. Stillbirths are the second most common reason for malpractice suits against obstetricians -- neurological problems are No. 1.

Forty-three percent of obstetricians said they had worried about disciplinary or legal action due to a death with no identified cause.