Archives of Hellenic Medicine

Last update:

28-Sep-2019

Arch Hellen Med, 37(5), September-October 2019, 643-649

ORIGINAL PAPER

The effect of male fetal gender on the cesarean section rate in Greek women with induced labor

A. Antonakou,¹ M. Souma,¹ E. Tsourlou,¹ D. Papoutsis²
¹Department of Midwifery, Midwifery School, "Alexander" Technological Educational Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece
²Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, Telford, United Kingdom

OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of fetal gender on the mode of delivery in women with induced labor.

METHOD We collected data retrospectively on women who underwent induction of labor in a tertiary Greek hospital over a one-year period. The maternal demographic characteristics, details of labor and delivery, and neonatal data were retrieved from the medical records. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify whether or not the fetal gender was an independent risk factor for cesarean section (CS).

RESULTS The sample consisted of 359 women with a mean age of 30±5.4 years. Maternal characteristics were similar in women who delivered male and female babies. The birth weight was significantly greater in male than female babies. A significantly higher CS rate was recorded in women with male babies than in those with female babies (39.4% vs 25.5%). Multiple regression analysis showed that the male fetal gender increased almost two-fold the risk of CS, even after adjusting for birth weight (OR=2.04, 95% CI: 1.11-3.76; p=0.022).

CONCLUSIONS We showed in this study that the male fetal gender is a factor that might affect the mode of delivery in women with induced labor. This gender relationship persisted after adjusting for birth weight, indicating that factors other than birth weight could explain this effect.

Key words: Birth weight, Cesarean section, Gender, Induced labor, Male.