INTRODUCTION Weight of placenta has long been associated with fetal growth and perinatal well-being. Low placental weight (standardized for sex gestational age) is more common among stillbirths whereas high neonatal death, serious morbidity, low 5-min Apgar score, respiratory morbidity. believed to reflect an inadequate surface area nutrient gas exchange, leading compromise. However, it also pro...

To p to b ot to m : B re nt B os so m , P au l C ow an /S hu tte rS to ck Shift in the Sexes Are Endocrine Disruptors Changing Birth Ratios? According to demographic data compiled by the United Nations, an average of 105 boys are born for every 100 girls. The male proportion of births, equal to 0.515, varies slightly between years and populations, but these factors do not fully explain consiste...

A method for determining fetal sex by identification of Barr-Body in amniotic fluid by staining with aceto-orcein 120 patients pregnant for 20-40 weeks (Group 1) and 50 patients pregnant for 14-20 weeks (Group 2). The results were confirmed at birth or abortion. The accuracy of fetal sex diagnosis was 98.33% in Group 1 and 100% in Group 2. The method is extremely rapid, requiring no more tha...

BACKGROUND Chronic placental inflammation, such as villitis of unknown etiology (VUE) and chronic chorioamnionitis (CCA), is considered a placental manifestation of maternal anti-fetal rejection. The aim of this study is to investigate its frequency in twin pregnancies compared to singleton pregnancies. METHODS Three hundred twin placentas and 1,270 singleton placentas were consecutively coll...

OBJECTIVE In this paper we evaluate the evidence for sex differences in fetal programming within the context of the proposed viability-vulnerability tradeoff. METHODS We briefly review the literature on the factors contributing to primary and secondary sex ratios. Sex differences in fetal programming are assessed by summarizing previously published sex difference findings from our group (6 st...

OBJECTIVE To assess the accuracy of fetal sex determination at 11-14 weeks of gestation. METHODS Fetal gender assessment by ultrasound was prospectively carried out in 172 singleton pregnancies at 11-14 weeks of gestation immediately before chorionic villus sampling for karyotyping. The genital region was examined in a midsagittal plane and the fetal gender was assigned as male if the angle o...