Proportion Of Male Children Research Articles

The Coupon Collection Behavior in Human Reproduction

There is evidence in humans for genetic influences on the probability (Pboy) that a birth yields a boy instead of a girl [1-6], suggesting a potential variation of Pboy among families. To quantify this variation, we analyze the survey data from over 300,000UK Biobank participants primarily born between 1940 and 1970 [7]. Surprisingly, the proportion of male children in a family, or sex ratio (SR), has a significantly smaller among-family variation than expected under a uniform Pboy. We propose that this phenomenon results from reproductive behaviors reflecting a preference for having children of both sexes, much like the coupon collector's problem in probability theory where collecting a complete set of distinct coupons is considered a win. We find that the observed deficit in SR variation is explainable by 3.3% of "coupon-collecting" families. Consistently, significantly more families than expected have all children of the same sex except for the child born last. This trend is more pronounced in the late than the early half of the families in the data, suggesting an increasing popularity of this behavior. Analysis of a Dutch genealogical dataset spanning the past 4 centuries reveals higher-than-expected SR variations over much of the history; only after 1940 did the SR variation drop below the expectation. We conclude that a significant fraction of couples now exhibit the coupon collection behavior in reproduction such that SR is more homogeneous among families than expected by chance.

Analysis of pediatric neurosurgical diseases: A single-center study

Objective To summarize the clinical epidemiological characteristics of pediatric neurosurgical diseases at a single center. Methods A total of 5 790 children (≤15 years old) with neurosurgical diseases admitted to Department of Neurosurgery, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University from January 2008 to June 2018 were retrospectively enrolled. Their clinical data were analyzed and included the distribution of various diseases and clinical characteristics such as age, gender and lesion location. Results All 5 790 children included 2 259 cases (39.0%) of congenital malformation, 1 561 cases of tumor (27.0%), 953 cases of trauma (16.5%), 360 cases of cerebrovascular disease (6.2%), 159 cases of inflammation (2.7%), 91 cases of functional disorder (1.6%) and 407 cases of other diseases (7.0%). The gender ratio (male ∶female) was 1.76 ∶1.00. In all kinds of diseases, the proportion of male children was higher than that of female children, and the difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). The overall peak age of onset was 0-3 years old. Congenital malformations and tumors were predominant in 0-3 years old (42.9%) and 13-15 years old (26.3%), respectively. Three most frequent congenital malformations were arachnoid cyst (29.6%), hydrocephalus (28.2%) and tethered cord syndrome (20.0%). Temporal lobe was the most common site of arachnoid cyst (45.4%). Three most common tumors were glioma (19.7%), craniopharyngioma (9.0%) and medulloblastoma (8.8%). The ratios of brain tumors to spinal canal tumors, supratentorial tumors to infratentorial tumors and low-grade tumors to high-grade tumors were 5.61 ∶1.00, 1.73 ∶1.00 and 1.67 ∶1.00, respectively. Primary brain injury(365 cases) accounted for 58.6% of traumatic diseases and 59.2% (the highest proportion) of primary brain injury was brain contusion and laceration. In cerebrovascular diseases, the proportion of spontaneous hemorrhage (27.2%) was the highest. The most common inflammatory disease was inflammatory granuloma(22.6%). In addition, with the increase of age, the incidence of congenital malformation decreased gradually, while the incidence of cerebrovascular diseases increased gradually(both P<0.001). Conclusions Pediatric neurosurgical diseases have unique clinical epidemic characteristics. Congenital malformations and tumors are more common, and the incidence of arachnoid cysts and gliomas seems to be the highest. In various diseases, the incidence of male is higher than that of female, and the peak ages are different. Key words: Child; Neurosurgery; Epidemiology; Single-center study

A comparative study of the nutritional, education and immunisation profile of children visiting tertiary care centre-is there a gender preference or no?

Background: Girls in the country are found to be at a higher risk of malnutrition and growth retardation. Status report of ‘Save the Children’ highlighted that India is having largest gender survival gap in the World. Aim of the study was to study the nutrition, education and immunization profile of children visiting tertiary care centre, to know gender preference is there or no. Methods: A descriptive study was conducted in, CHRI for a period of 6 months, where parents of all Children aged 5 -15 years were subjected to questionnaire regarding the education, immunisation and socio economic status in a predesigned proforma and their nutritional status was assessed using the anthropometric measurements and clinical examination. Results: Out of 1020 children the proportion of boys (49%) and girls (51%). The proportion of fully immunized children in females (63.1%) compared to males (70.4%). The proportion of male children going to government and private schools was 12.4% and 87.6% respectively and 10.8% and 89.2% respectively in females. The proportion of underweight children in males (5.2%), compared to females (4.2%). Conclusions: There was no there was no gender preference with regard nutritional, immunisation or educational status of the children.

Infection associated with severe malnutrition among hspitalised children in East Africa

Severe protein-energy malnutrition (PEM) predisposes affected children to various infections, which either worsens their nutritional status or causes malnutrition, hence complicating their management and outcome. This study was carried out to determine the infections associated with severe malnutrition among children admitted at Kilifi District Hospital (KDH) in Kenya and Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Data was collected from hospital register books and online system database. A total of 1121 children with severe malnutrition were admitted during a period of one year (2004-2005) (MNH = 781; KDH = 340). The proportion of male children with malnutrition was higher than that of female children. Non-oedematous malnutrition was more prevalent at MNH (N = 504; 64%) than KDH (N = 130; 38%). Conversely, oedematous was more prevalence than non-oedematous malnutrition among children admitted at KDH (N = 2 10; 61.7%). More than 75% of all patients with severe PEM were children < 2 years old. Thirty-six per cent of all severe PEM cases had malaria in both hospitals. Forty-five per cent of all admitted patients with severe PEM at KDH had diarrhoea. Two hundred twenty two (28%) and 64 (19%) of the children with severe malnutrition died at MNH and KDH, respectively. Oedematous PEM was associated with a higher case fatality rate than non-oedematous one (P < 0.05). At MNH, 86% of the patients who died with severe malnutrition had other co-morbidities. More (46%) oedematous malnourished patients with co-infections died at MNH than non-oedematous malnourished patients (19%). At KDH, septicaemia was the leading cause of death (55%) among severely malnourished patients. In conclusion, coinfections complicate the management of severe malnutrition and are associated with higher death rate. Management of such infections is of paramount importance to reduce case fatality rates.

Gender Differences in Lymphocyte Populations, Plasma HIV RNA Levels, and Disease Progression in a Cohort of Children Born to Women Infected With HIV

We sought to document gender differences in lymphocyte subsets and plasma RNA levels in a pediatric cohort with presumed minimal hormonal differences (on the basis of age). Blood samples from antiretroviral therapy-treated, HIV-infected children (n = 158) and HIV-uninfected children (n = 1801) who were enrolled in the Women and Infants Transmission Study were analyzed at specified study intervals with consensus protocols, and various parameters were compared. Antiretroviral therapy-treated, HIV-infected female children had, on average, 0.38 log10 copies per mL lower plasma RNA levels than did their male counterparts, but lymphocyte differences were not noted in this cohort. Despite their higher plasma RNA level, a greater proportion of male children survived through 8 years of age. There were no gender differences with respect to the age of diagnosis of HIV, time to antiretroviral therapy after diagnosis of HIV, or type of antiretroviral therapy. Lymphocyte differences were noted for uninfected children. Plasma RNA levels differed among antiretroviral therapy-treated, HIV-infected children according to gender, in a manner similar to that noted in previous pediatric and adult studies. Lymphocyte subsets varied according to gender in a cohort of HIV-exposed but uninfected children. Most importantly, overall mortality rates for this cohort differed according to gender.

Living arrangements, patrilineality and sources of support among elderly Vietnamese

This study examined social support for the elderly in Ho Chi Minh (HCM) City and Hanoi, Viet Nam, in 1996. The sample included the main towns and provinces surrounding the cities. Two major findings were that the family was the main source of social security for the elderly. Almost 75% of the elderly in Hanoi, and 80% in HCM City, lived with at least 1 adult child. Parents were more likely to live with a married son. Most of the remaining elderly lived in close proximity to adult children. Over 50% of the elderly lived in households with at least 3 generations, regardless of their location in the north or the south. Older elderly were more likely to live in 3-generation households. 5-6% of the elderly lived alone or with a spouse and did not live near an adult child. Living alone was more prevalent in rural areas and among women. In both regions, almost 60% were female and over 50% were aged under 70 years. 56.6-61.8% were currently married; 37.3-38.1% were widowed. The elderly functioned within a strong patrilineal system. The proportion of male children who lived with a parent divided by the proportion of female children living with a parent (patrilineal ratio) was at least 3 times higher in Hanoi, urban towns, and rural areas in the Red River Delta, than in HCM City and its environs. There was substantial variation in non-family support. A higher proportion of elderly in Hanoi received pensions and social welfare benefits. The elderly in the south were less likely to name themselves or their spouses as the main sources of family income.

Obstructive sleep apnea: the use of nasal CPAP in 80 children.

This is a retrospective review of children 15 years of age or younger, who underwent overnight sleep studies between 1980 and 1993. All were diagnosed and treated for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Overnight studies were performed for OSA in 413 children. One hundred seventy-five (42.4%) children were treated with adenotonsillectomy and 80 (19.4%) with nasal mask continuous positive airway pressure (nCPAP). The proportion of male children was greater than expected in both the entire study group (69%, p < 0.001) and in those treated with nCPAP for OSA (71% p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the mean age of the children treated with nCPAP (5.7 +/- 0.5 yr) and the entire group studied (5.04 +/- 0.21 yr). A greater proportion of the children who received nCPAP therapy had a congenital syndrome or malformation than in the group with OSA as a whole; 27.7% of children assessed for OSA were affected, and 53% of those children with OSA who received treatment with nCPAP (p < 0.001). Therapy with nCPAP (mean duration 15 +/- 3 mo, mean pressure 7.9 cm H2O) eliminated the signs of OSA in 72 children (90%). Respiratory disturbance index fell from a mean of 27.3 +/- 20.2 to 2.55 +/- 2.74 (p < 0.001). Eight of 32 children who underwent pressure determination studies could not tolerate nCPAP above an upper limit because of hypoventilation or frequent central apneas. Nevertheless, we conclude that nCPAP is an effective and generally well-tolerated therapy for treatment of OSA in infants and children.

The Sex Ratio, Fertility, and Ancestral Longevity

Previous articleNext article No AccessThe Sex Ratio, Fertility, and Ancestral LongevityPhilip S. LawrencePhilip S. Lawrence Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Quarterly Review of Biology Volume 16, Number 1Mar., 1941 Published in association with Stony Brook University Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/394621 Views: 3Total views on this site Citations: 18Citations are reported from Crossref PDF download Crossref reports the following articles citing this article:V. GAVALAS, K. RONTOS, N. NAGOPOULOS SEX RATIO AT BIRTH IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GREECE: THE ROLE OF ETHNIC AND SOCIAL GROUPS, Journal of Biosocial Science 47, no.33 (May 2014): 363–375.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932014000182William H. James The variations of human sex ratio at birth during and after wars, and their potential explanations, Journal of Theoretical Biology 257, no.11 (Mar 2009): 116–123.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2008.09.028Anouch Chahnazarian Determinants of the sex ratio at birth: Review of recent literature, Biodemography and Social Biology 35, no.3-43-4 (Sep 1988): 214–235.https://doi.org/10.1080/19485565.1988.9988703WILLIAM H. JAMES Timing of Fertilization and the Sex Ratio of Offspring, (Jan 1983): 73–99.https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-088860-3.50009-XPeter J. Mayer Evolutionary advantage of the menopause, Human Ecology 10, no.44 (Dec 1982): 477–494.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01531168WilliamH. James TIME OF FERTILISATION AND SEX OF INFANTS, The Lancet 315, no.81788178 (May 1980): 1124–1126.https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(80)91565-2Joe Leigh Simpson More Than We Ever Wanted to Know about Sex — Should We Be Afraid to Ask?, New England Journal of Medicine 300, no.2626 (Jun 1979): 1483–1484.https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM197906283002609JOHN ROSTRON, WILLIAM H. JAMES Maternal age, parity* social class and sex ratio, Annals of Human Genetics 41, no.22 (Oct 1977): 205–217.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-1809.1977.tb01916.xRodrigo Guerrero Association of the Type and Time of Insemination within the Menstrual Cycle with the Human Sex Ratio at Birth, New England Journal of Medicine 291, no.2020 (Nov 1974): 1056–1059.https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM197411142912004Avigdor Beiles A buffered interaction between sex ratio, age difference at marriage, and population growth in humans, and their significance for sex ratio evolution, Heredity 33, no.22 (Oct 1974): 265–278.https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1974.92Michael S. Teitelbaum, Nathan Mantel Socio-economic factors and the sex ratio at birth, Journal of Biosocial Science 3, no.11 (Jul 2008): 23–42.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932000007793Michael S. Teitelbaum Factors affecting the sex ratio in large populations, Journal of Biosocial Science 2, no.S2S2 (Sep 2011): 61–71.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021932000023476P.D. Mullaney, D.F. Cox Sex proportions in swine after paternal X-irradiation, Mutation Research/Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis 7, no.33 (May 1969): 482–484.https://doi.org/10.1016/0027-5107(69)90123-7D. Sarkar Variation in the sex-ratio at birth, The Indian Journal of Pediatrics 36, no.22 (Feb 1969): 30–34.https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02751857Von E. Schilling Zur Frage der willkürlichen Beeinflussung des Geschlechts bei Säugetieren, Reproduction in Domestic Animals 1, no.11 (Mar 1966): 5–14.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0531.1966.tb00003.xYung Sun Kang, Wan Kyoo Cho The sex ratio at birth of the Korean population, Eugenics Quarterly 6, no.33 (Aug 2010): 187–195.https://doi.org/10.1080/19485565.1959.9987413P. Bhattacharya, S. S. Prabhu, S. N. Chatterjee Secondary sex ratio in Indian cattle, Zeitschrift für Tierzüchtung und Züchtungsbiologie 66, no.33 (Apr 2010): 306–310.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0388.1956.tb00605.xOle Venge STUDIES OF THE MATERNAL INFLUENCE ON THE BIRTH WEIGHT IN RABBITS, Acta Zoologica 31, no.11 (Jun 1950): 1–148.https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6395.1950.tb01027.x