Is Maternal Malnutrition Associated with a Low Sex Ratio at Birth?

Document Type

Brief Communication

Authors

Roland Andersson, Centre Medical, Gamboula, Central African Republic; County Hospital Ryhov
Staffan Bergström, Department of Public Health Sciences, Division of International Health Care Reasearch, Karolinska Institutet

Abstract

The low male/female ratio at birth in African populations has been attributed to a variety of genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors. A low sex ratio at birth has been associated with maternal malnutrition in mammals, but this issue has not been studied in humans. In this study we analyzed the relation between maternal nutritional status and sex ratio at birth in 3282 children born to 684 women from a rural African society. Short maternal stature and obesity were independently related to a low sex ratio at birth. These results are consistent with animal experiments that indicate an adverse effect of maternal malnutrition on male fetuses. The results warrant further research in this area.

Recommended Citation

Andersson, Roland and Bergström, Staffan (1998) "Is Maternal Malnutrition Associated with a Low Sex Ratio at Birth?," Human Biology: Vol. 70: Iss. 6, Article 10.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol70/iss6/10