Is fetal gender associated with adverse perinatal outcome in intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)?

Abstract

To determine if there is a difference in perinatal outcome by gender among growth-restricted fetuses. Retrospective cohort study of IUGR singleton pregnancies (birthweight less than the 10th percentile for gestational age) over a 5 year period. Male gender was defined as the exposure of interest. Clinical outcomes compared between males and females included birthweight, gestational age at delivery, perinatal mortality (PNM), respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), grade 3 or 4 intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) and periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). Statistical analysis included bivariate and multivariate techniques. We identified 789 singleton pregnancies with IUGR. 372 (47.2%) were males. Birthweight was similar between the groups. After adjusting for confounding variables using logistic regression, adverse perinatal outcomes were similar between the groups (P = .40). Our study had 82% power to detect a relative risk of at least 1.6 in the composite outcome of males when compared to females. Males fetuses with IUGR have similar outcomes to female IUGR fetuses. Gender does not play a role in perinatal outcome in the setting of fetal growth restriction.Tabled 1Outcomes for growth restricted fetuses by genderOutcomeMales (n=372)Females (n=417)Adjusted OR (95% C.I.)Delivery <37 weeks128 (34%)129 (31%)1.08 (0.78, 1.52)Delivery <34 weeks48 (13%)54 (13%)0.88 (0.55, 1.41) PNM15 (4%)17 (4%)0.97 (0.35, 2.68) RDS32 (8.6%)29 (7%)1.23 (0.63, 2.41) IVH13 (3.5%)10 (2.4%)1.47 (0.56, 3.87) NEC5 (1.3%)5 (1.2%)0.94 (0.23, 3.85) PVL1 (<1%)0 (0%)–Composite outcome50 (13.4%)52 (12.5%)0.98 (0.53, 1.82) Open table in a new tab