Open AccessDisappearance of human chorionic gonadotropin after cesarean section with regard to fetal sex
Author(s) -
Steier Johan A.,
Bergsjø Per B.,
Myking Ole L.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0412.2002.810505.x
Subject(s) - human chorionic gonadotropin , gonadotropin , medicine , fetus , pregnancy , obstetrics , endocrinology , biology , hormone , genetics
Background. To evaluate the influence of gender on the disappearance of human chorionic gonadotropin by cesarean section after fullterm pregnancies. Materials and methods. Forty‐nine uncomplicated pregnancies: 26 had male (male group) and 23 had female (female group) fetuses. Results. Before the cesarean section the serum human chorionic gonadotropin levels were higher in the female than in the male bearing pregnancies. After cesarean section the human chorionic gonadotropin levels fell rapidly. The decrease in the human chorionic gonadotropin values was significantly faster in the male than in the female group during the first hours after delivery ( 2P < 0.02), while no significant difference was seen after 24 and 72 h. Conclusion. This study shows a significantly faster human chorionic gonadotropin disappearance rate in pregnancies with male compared with female fetuses during the first hours after a cesarean section. This indicates a gender difference, which could be related to different human chorionic gonadotropin molecular structures or to more specific metabolic events.