Pregnancy

Is it riskier to have a boy than to have a girl?

New research suggests pregnancy complications are more likely when you’re expecting a boy.

This response comes after the authors of the study analyzed half a million births in Australia.

Newborn boys are more likely to be born prematurely, which increases the risk of health problems. In addition, expectant mothers of children appear to be more at risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia near the birth.

According to Petra Verburg, first author of the study conducted at the University of Adelaide in Australia, “The gender of the baby has a direct association with complications during pregnancy.”

The reasons are not yet clear, although some genetic factors are probably involved.

One potential explanation is that the placenta, the organ that nourishes the developing fetus, is different in male and female pregnancies .

According to the authors, the placenta is critical to a successful pregnancy, and is an organ that technically belongs to the baby, so it is genetically identical to him.

More than 574,000 births in Australia from 1981 to 2011 were assessed for answers.

Compared to females, males had

  • 27 percent more likely to have a preterm birth between 20 and 24 weeks of gestation
  • 24 percent more likely to have a preterm birth between 30 and 33 weeks
  • 17 percent more likely to deliver between 34 and 36 weeks

We remind you that a birth is defined as full-term between 39 and 41 weeks.

The data also showed that gestational diabetes is 4% more likely in women who are expecting boys. Pre-eclampsia near delivery is also 7.5 percent more likely in pregnancies with children.

However, it was seen in the study that pregnancies of girls had a 22 percent higher risk of pre-eclampsia early in pregnancy, a condition that requires premature birth.

These results should absolutely not alarm expectant mothers. The advice for all women who are experiencing or will experience pregnancy is to follow a good diet and maintain the correct weight even before conceiving.

To reduce pregnancy complications in general, it is good to adopt a good lifestyle which includes: quitting smoking, not drinking alcohol and staying physically fit.

Preconectional health is   essential for the successful continuation of the pregnancy.

Dr Kathryn Barlow

Kathryn Barlow is an OB/GYN doctor, which is the medical specialty that deals with the care of women's reproductive health, including pregnancy and childbirth.

Obstetricians provide care to women during pregnancy, labor, and delivery, while gynecologists focus on the health of the female reproductive system, including the ovaries, uterus, vagina, and breasts. OB/GYN doctors are trained to provide medical and surgical care for a wide range of conditions related to women's reproductive health.

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