Men, not women, are the weaker sex
April 1st, 2009 - 1:12 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Apr 1 (ANI): While women are often considered the weaker sex, a Tel Aviv University study has offered scientific evidence to show that it’s the other way round.
The study has shown that male baby comes with a bigger package of associated risks than his female counterparts.
In a study of 66,000 births, Prof. Marek Glezerman, chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, along with Dr. Yariv Yogev and Dr. Nir Melamed, found that while girls were at a higher risk for restricted growth in utero and for breech presentation at birth, risks associated with boy foetuses were more abundant.
“Pregnancies with a male foetus are more often complicated. They’re more likely to result in a premature rupture of the embryonic sac and suffer from premature delivery. And those male foetuses which make it to term are more likely to suffer from excessive growth in the uterus, making delivery more difficult and leading to more cesarian section deliveries,” said Glezerman.
Researchers concluded that male foetuses come with ‘a higher association of risks,’ but note that the findings should be viewed in the proper light.
Glezerman said that ‘boys are riskier to an extent’ but pregnancies involving boys should not be classified as ‘high-risk’ for that reason alone.
He said that it’s only one factor for doctors to consider when looking at the whole picture.
“But in general, boys are more vulnerable in their life in utero, and this vulnerability continues to exist throughout their lives,” said Glezerman,.
“Men are known to have a shorter lifespan, are more susceptible to infections, and have less chance of withstanding disease than women. In short, men are the weaker sex,” he added,
Glezerman noted that this new evidence has confirmed the old wives’ tale that boy foetuses are more troublesome in the womb and the delivery room. He also takes the notion one step further.
“This research not only confirms an old wives’ tale, but adds to what we know about the male gender. Males are also associated with higher risk in the neonatal period after birth, and are more likely to expose themselves to risky behaviour later in life,” Glezerman said.
The study has been presented to the Israel Society for Gender Based Medicine. (ANI)
- Birth of boys more problematic than girls: Study - Apr 01, 2009
- Right medical care can cut risk for newborns in older mums - Dec 08, 2010
- It's official: Men, not women, are the weaker sex - May 27, 2009
- Traditional delivery for breech babies safer than C-section for mums - Oct 27, 2010
- Male foetuses ignore stressed mums - unlike sensitive females - Jul 21, 2010
- Anti-aging supplement a fountain of hope for wannabe mums - Jul 02, 2010
- Exposure to toxic chemical linked to wheezing in kids - May 02, 2011
- 'Diet' soft drinks linked to premature births - Aug 19, 2010
- Blues invite re-hospitalization among cardiac patients - Feb 15, 2012
- Mom's smoking during pregnancy ups SIDS risk - Nov 10, 2010
- Pregnant women can enjoy one cup of coffee a day - Jul 24, 2010
- Pregnant women living near highways likelier to give birth prematurely - Apr 04, 2011
- Teen mums more likely to have premature babies - Jul 09, 2010
- Pollution ups odds of premature birth by 30 percent - Oct 07, 2011
- Women living near roads more likely to have premature birth - Dec 03, 2010
Tags: cesarian section, delivery room, embryonic sac, excessive growth, female counterparts, foetus, foetuses, growth in the uterus, male baby, melamed, obstetrics and gynecology, old wives, premature delivery, premature rupture, restricted growth, sackler school of medicine, short men, tel aviv university, women are the weaker sex, yariv