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The male disadvantage in very low birthweight infants: Does it really exist?

  • Neonatology
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Abstract

In a nationwide collaborative study in the Netherlands, perinatal and follow up data were collected on 1338 liveborn very preterm (<32 weeks) and/or very low birth-weight (VLBW) infants (<1500g). In this group, the mortality risk was similar for both male and female infants. The handicap risk, however, was significantly greater for boys than for girls. This finding could not be explained as being due to the well-known delay in lung maturation in male infants as in idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome and need of assisted ventilation.

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Abbreviations

CI:

confidence interval

IRDS:

idiopathic respiratory distress syndrome

OR:

odds ratio

VLBW:

very low birth weight

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neonatology/Paediatrics, Leiden University Hospital, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands

    S. P. Verloove-Vanhorick, D. M. van Zeben-van der Aa & J. H. Ruys

  2. Department of Obstetrics/Gynaecology, Leiden University Hospital, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC, Leiden, The Netherlands

    R. A. Verwey

  3. Department of Medical Statistics, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands

    R. Brand

Authors
  1. S. P. Verloove-Vanhorick
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  2. D. M. van Zeben-van der Aa
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  3. R. A. Verwey
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  4. R. Brand
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  5. J. H. Ruys
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Additional information

From the collaborative study “Project On Preterm and Small for gestational age infants in the Netherlands” (POPS), 1983

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Verloove-Vanhorick, S.P., van Zeben-van der Aa, D.M., Verwey, R.A. et al. The male disadvantage in very low birthweight infants: Does it really exist?. Eur J Pediatr 149, 197–202 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01958281

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01958281

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