The gender difference isn't large: About 55 per cent of preterm births in 2010 were male, the report found. Nor is it clear exactly why it happens. The finding comes from a series of international studies being published Friday that examine newborn health and prematurity.
Boys and girls arrive at roughly the same time.
Male births were much more likely to require the use of oxytocin, a hormone which stimulates contractions. "Of the women carrying male infants, 70 per cent of them had completely normal deliveries, compared to 76 per cent of females."
Warning Signs of Premature Labor
Menstrual-like cramps felt in the lower abdomen that may come and go or be constant. Low dull backache felt below the waistline that may come and go or be constant. Pelvic pressure that feels like your baby is pushing down. This pressure comes and goes.
They found that the most fertile months for conceiving a boy were from September to November, while the lowest fertile period was from March to May.
It's all about Dad's genes
A man's X and a woman's X combine to become a girl, and a man's Y combines with a woman's X to become a boy. But if the sperm don't have equal Xs and Ys, or if other genetic factors are at play, it can affect the sex ratio.
Problems with the uterus, cervix or placenta. Smoking cigarettes or using illicit drugs. Some infections, particularly of the amniotic fluid and lower genital tract. Some chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes.
Why Are Some Babies Born Early? Babies born before 37 weeks are premature. A premature birth is more likely to happen when a mother has a health problem — like diabetes — or does harmful things during her pregnancy, like smoke or drink. If she lives with a lot of stress, that also can make her baby be born too early.
Worldwide, boys are heavier than girls at term birth. This difference is thought to be generated by androgen action [2], but its time course during fetal life is unknown.
Only 7.6 percent percent of male babies and 5.5 percent of female babies were in the womb 42 weeks or longer. Males were also 1.5 times more likely to be born at 43 weeks or longer. The researchers noted that the most common reason for prolonged pregnancies is an error in calculating the due date.
Research shows girls kick as often as boys. Babies who kick a lot in the womb are also more active after birth. Some mothers have more trouble feeling the kicks than others. If the placenta is on the front side of the womb, or if you are overweight, you will feel the kicks less.
It is true that boys produce their first words and sentences later than girls. However, these differences are only in terms of a matter of a few months. There is a normal range within which children acquire certain language milestones.
Length of gestation
The average length of human gestation is 280 days, or 40 weeks, from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period. The medical term for the due date is estimated date of confinement (EDC).
At birth the typical boy is growing slightly faster than the typical girl, but the velocities become equal at about seven months, and then the girl grows faster until four years. From then until adolescence no differences in velocity can be detected.
If “early” means preterm — before 37 weeks of pregnancy — first babies are more likely to be early. Based on live births recorded in the National Survey of Family Growth, about 12% of first babies are born preterm, compared to 10% of other babies.
37-38 Weeks
A baby born within this pregnancy period is considered 'early-term,' and it may not yet have a fully developed brain, lungs, or liver. Despite the proximity to the healthy 40 weeks, a baby born between 37 and 38 weeks of pregnancy is not fully physiologically mature.
Most of the time, premature births happen spontaneously (naturally) and doctors will not know why. Sometimes, a premature birth is planned because it's safer for mum and/or the baby.
The results showed that a firstborn baby has a 15 to 16 percent chance of being born late, compared with a 9 or 10 percent chance for other babies. Most babies were born at 39 weeks of pregnancy. However, the study also found that firstborns were also more likely to be born early, at 37 weeks or earlier.
All men inherit a Y chromosome from their father, which means all traits that are only found on the Y chromosome come from dad, not mom. The Supporting Evidence: Y-linked traits follow a clear paternal lineage.
Each parent will pass one copy of their eye color gene to their child. In this case, the mom will always pass B and the dad will always pass b. This means all of their kids will be Bb and have brown eyes. Each child will show the mom's dominant trait.
After tracking your basal body temperature (when your body is at rest) for a few months to learn when you ovulate, the Whelan Method states you should have sex four to six days before ovulation if you want a boy.
A new study has revealed that people born in April are the sexiest - and having a birthday in April myself, I'm obviously completely sold on the theory…