Arch Gynecol Obstet (2012) 285:361–365 DOI 10.1007/s00404-011-1984-9
MAT ERNAL-FE T A L M ED I C I N E
Fetal sex and diVerential survival in preeclampsia and eclampsia Muktar H. Aliyu · Hamisu M. Salihu · O’Neil Lynch · Amina P. Alio · Phillip J. Marty
Received: 6 December 2010 / Accepted: 30 June 2011 / Published online: 20 July 2011 © Springer-Verlag 2011
Abstract Purpose We investigate sex diVerences in the incidence of stillbirth, neonatal mortality, and perinatal mortality among singletons born to mothers with preeclampsia or eclampsia. Methods Retrospective cohort analysis of a populationbased sample of singleton births covering the period 1989 through 2005 (n = 56,313). Results The study population comprised 26,931 female (47.8%) and 29,382 male infants (52.2%; referent group). Overall, the prevalence of stillbirth, neonatal mortality and perinatal mortality were 0.68, 0.52 and 1.2%, respectively. There was no sex diVerence in the incidence of stillbirth, neonatal or perinatal mortality among oVspring of mothers in this study. Conclusion Although there was a preponderance of male infants among mothers with preeclampsia or eclampsia, we M. H. Aliyu Department of Preventive Medicine and Institute for Global Health, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA H. M. Salihu · P. J. Marty The Chiles Center for Healthy Mothers and Babies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA H. M. Salihu (&) Center for Research and Evaluation, Lawton and Rhea Chiles Center, For Healthy Mothers and Babies, University of South Florida, 3111 E. Fletcher Avenue, Tampa, FL 33613, USA e-mail:
[email protected]
did not observe any sex-associated diVerences in fetal or neonatal survival among oVspring of mothers with preeclampsia or eclampsia. Keywords Preeclampsia · Eclampsia · Gender diVerences · Stillbirth · Neonatal mortality · Perinatal mortality
Introduction Sex-speciWc diVerences in fetal growth and perinatal outcomes are well established in the contemporary literature. In general, male sex is an independent risk factor for adverse pregnancy outcomes [1, 2]. Pregnancies with male fetuses are associated with higher rates of labor dystocia [1, 3, 4], cord problems [1, 5–8], cesarean delivery [9], preterm delivery [10, 11], and perinatal mortality across all gestational ages [12, 13]. Conditions that are associated with ischemic placental diseases (preeclampsia, abruption and fetal distress) are also more common in male fetuses [1, 7, 8, 13], although one study found lower rates of preeclampsia among pregnancies with male oVspring in a cohort of singleton pregnancies delivered at
