Baby boys more likely to die

Published: March. 25, 2008 at 11:32 PM

LOS ANGELES, March 26 (UPI) -- A baby boy in a developing country is more likely to die than a baby girl, U.S. researchers said.

While Caesarean sections and neonatal intensive care units have helped more baby boys survive in developed countries, the gender gap in infant mortality exists in countries without these types of medical assistance, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and University of Southern California found.

The study of 15 countries found that the gender gap in infant mortality was as high as 30 percent at its peak about 1970, but medical advancements since then have helped more baby boys survive.

"The marked reversal of historical trends indicates that at an age when males and females experience very similar lives, they are very different in their biological vulnerability, but how different depends on environmental and medical conditions," Eileen Crimmins, associate dean and professor at the USC Davis School of Gerontology said in a statement.

Boys are 60 percent more likely to be premature and suffer conditions arising from being born premature, such as respiratory distress syndrome, but they are also at higher risk of birth injury and mortality due to their larger body and head size, the researchers said.

The findings are published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

© 2008 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Order reprints



Additional News Stories
Report: Halladay, Lee headed for new teams (7 min)
Pediatrician SIDS prevention program works (30 min)
Survey: One in 10 U.S. teens take Vicodin (44 min)
Scientists identify MRI safety risk (45 min)
Gill lists priorities as Kansas FB coach (50 min)
Crude oil prices hold under $70 per barrel (55 min)
UPS driver finds, returns $5,200
fark
Female veterans finding it difficult to find acceptance after combat tours. Come on guys, they've...
Let's see now, √((r²-l²)+(l+k)² - (√(r²-l²)-w)²)-l-... GOD DAMMIT, Get out of my parking...
Teacher cuts off a student's braid after she wouldn't stop playing with it in class. "I wasn't playing...
Legionnaire's invade hotel in Florida, killing 1 and injuring two others
Animal rescue organization asks that if you see a seagull looking "sad" in 2010, don't make an emergency...
Pair of shadey characters robbing optometry stores last seen driving away in a 20/10 Cataract. Police...