CHICAGO: Baby boys are more likely to die than baby girls and medical advances have actually increased the gender gap, a study released on Monday found.
An analysis of infant mortality in 15 developed countries found that baby boys are 24 per cent more likely to die than baby girls.
This is down from a peak of 31 per cent in 1970, but double the rate in the days before the development of vaccines and public health measures like improved sanitation dramatically improved infant mortality rates.
“During the great historical improvements in infant mortality, the rising male disadvantage in infancy revealed a level of unexpected male vulnerability,” the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences concluded.
“As infant mortality falls to very low levels, infant deaths become increasingly concentrated among those who are born with some weakness.” The male disadvantage begins in utero.Girls have a stronger immune system while boys are 60 per cent more likely to be born prematurely and to suffer from respiratory problems, among others. Boys are also more likely to cause risky or difficult labour because of their larger body and head size.
When poor sanitation and nutrition weakened all babies and mothers the male disadvantage was less noticeable: from 1751 until 1870 the gender mortality gap was about 10 to 15 per cent.—AFP
