The Effect of Fetal Gender on the Delivery Outcome in Primigravidae Women with Induced Labours for all Indications

Introduction: There is increasing evidence of a gender-related phenomenon where the presence of a male fetus may have an adverse effect on the outcome of pregnancy. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of fetal gender on the delivery outcome in primigravidae women with induced labours. Materials and Methods: This was an observational cohort study of primigravidae women who had Induction Of Labour (IOL) for all indications during a two-year period. Women with breech vaginal deliveries, stillbirths, multiple pregnancies and elective Caesarean Section (CS) were excluded. Results: Of the 936 eligible patients identified, 493(52.6%) gave birth to male neonates and 443(47.4%) to female neonates. Age, ethnicity, Body Mass Index (BMI) and smoking were similar between women that delivered male and female neonates. More than half of all women were induced for post-date pregnancies. In women who gave birth to male neonates, the CS delivery rate was higher than in those with female neonates (23.7% vs 17.8%; p=0.029). Though emergency admission rates to the neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and arterial/venous pH from umbilical cord sampling immediately after birth were similar between male and female neonates, nevertheless male neonates had lower Apgar scores of <7 at 1 minute after birth (p=0.02). Conclusions: This study has shown that, male gender fetuses have a higher CS delivery rate in primigravidae women undergoing IOL and may be more vulnerable to fetal compromise when in labour.