Title | Fetal sex-specific differences in gestational age at delivery in pre-eclampsia: a meta-analysis. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2017 |
Authors | Schalekamp-Timmermans, S, Arends, L, Alsaker, E, Chappell, L, Hansson, S, Harsem, N, Jälmby, M, Jeyabalan, A, Laivuori, H, Lawlor, DA, Macdonald-Wallis, C, Makanga, P, Myers, J, Olsen, J, Poston, L, Redman, C, Staff, A, Villa, P, Roberts, J, Steegers, E |
Corporate Authors | Global Pregnancy Collaboration: |
Journal | Int J Epidemiol |
Volume | 46 |
Issue | 2 |
Pagination | 632-642 |
Date Published | 2017 04 01 |
ISSN | 1464-3685 |
Keywords | Adult, COLAB, Delivery, Obstetric, Female, Fetal Development, Fetal Growth Retardation, Gestational Age, Global Pregnancy Collaboration (CoLab), Humans, Infant, Newborn, Male, Pre-Eclampsia, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Complications, Sex Factors, Young Adult |
Abstract | Background: : Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a major pregnancy disorder complicating up to 8% of pregnancies. Increasing evidence indicates a sex-specific interplay between the mother, placenta and fetus. This may lead to different adaptive mechanisms during pregnancy. Methods: We performed an individual participant data meta-analysis to determine associations of fetal sex and PE, with specific focus on gestational age at delivery in PE. This was done on 219 575 independent live-born singleton pregnancies, with a gestational age at birth between 22.0 and 43.0 weeks of gestation, from 11 studies participating in a worldwide consortium of international research groups focusing on pregnancy. Results: Of the women, 9033 (4.1%) experienced PE in their pregnancy and 48.8% of the fetuses were female versus 51.2% male. No differences in the female/male distribution were observed with respect to term PE (delivered ≥ 37 weeks). Preterm PE (delivered < 37 weeks) was slightly more prevalent among pregnancies with a female fetus than in pregnancies with a male fetus [odds ratio (OR) 1.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-1.21]. Very preterm PE (delivered < 34 weeks) was even more prevalent among pregnancies with a female fetus as compared with pregnancies with a male fetus (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.17-1.59). Conclusions: Sexual dimorphic differences in the occurrence of PE exist, with preterm PE being more prevalent among pregnancies with a female fetus as compared with pregnancies with a male fetus and with no differences with respect to term PE. |
DOI | 10.1093/ije/dyw178 |
Alternate Journal | Int J Epidemiol |
Citation Key | 570 |
PubMed ID | 27605586 |
PubMed Central ID | PMC5837300 |
Grant List | P01 HD030367 / HD / NICHD NIH HHS / United States UL1 RR024153 / RR / NCRR NIH HHS / United States RP-2014-05-019 / / Department of Health / United Kingdom U01 NS047537 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States 102215 / / Wellcome Trust / United Kingdom N01ES75558 / ES / NIEHS NIH HHS / United States MC_PC_15018 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom MR/J011932/1 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom / / Wellcome Trust / United Kingdom MC_UU_12013/5 / / Medical Research Council / United Kingdom |