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| Are men the weaker sex? |
| Press Trust of India / Washington Apr 01, 2009, 11:08 IST |
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Are men the weaker sex? A new study has found scientific evidence that a male baby is born with more associated risks than his female counterparts.
In the study of 66,000 births, Israeli researchers have found that while girls are at higher risk for restricted growth in utero and for breech presentation at birth, risks associated with boy foetuses are more abundant.
Lead researcher Marek Glezerman of Tel Aviv University said: "Pregnancies with male foetus are more complicated. They are more likely to result in a premature rupture of embryonic sac and suffer from premature delivery.
"And those male foetuses which make it to term are more likely to suffer from excessive growth in the uterus, making delivery more difficult and leading to more Cesarean section deliveries."
He added: "Boys are riskier to an extent. In general, boys are more vulnerable in life in utero and vulnerability continues to exist throughout their lives. Men are known to have a shorter lifespan, are more susceptible to infections, and have less chance of withstanding disease than women. In short, men are the weaker sex."
According to the researchers, this new evidence confirms the old wives' tale that boy foetuses are troublesome in the womb and the delivery room.
"This research not only confirms an old wives' tale, but adds to what we know about the male gender. Males are also associated with higher risk in the neonatal period after birth and are more likely to expose themselves to risky behaviour later in life," Glezerman said.
According to them, boys may take more risks as the result of peer pressure, and the presence of testosterone in a boy's bloodstream could also lead to more dangerous behaviour. But this is not necessarily a bad thing.
"Men become soldiers, construction workers, and work as firefighters. They take on these risks quite naturally to protect their society, and they're trained to do this without question," Glezerman said.
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