Fetal Sex and Maternal Stature vs. Spontaneous Vaginal Birth: Considering Sex Specific State-of-the-Art Anthropometric Investigations at Term Pregnancy

We considered maternal and birth anthropometric features and fetal sex in developing a labor protocol.

A prospective study of 400 mothers, having healthy pregnancies and their newborn singletons in gynecology ward of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki. The study adopted a convenient sampling technique to select the volunteers from 1st July to December 2020. Birth and maternal anthropometries; BMI, height, weight, birth head girth (BHG), waist girth (WG), hip girth (HG) and delivery outcomes: birth mode and duration of 1st and 2nd phases of labor, and Apgar score at 1 minute of birth were measured, using Institute of Medicine guidelines.

Maternal age, weight, and HG, and WG at term pregnancy and fetal sex could determine birth mode and weight (P<0.05). The associations for duration of 1st phase of labor and maternal and birth anthropometries were inconsistent. Fetal sex, birth mode and features and maternal anthropometries; body fat, age, BMI and HG were associated with duration of 2nd phase of labor and Apgar score.

Maternal anthropometries predispose birth features, and advance age of mothers, relatively large WHR and fetal macrosomia at term pregnancy could increase duration of 2nd phase of labor and risk of a male birth, developing abnormal Apgar score. The strong association between anthropometric variables of a mother and her baby suggests that anthropometric investigations could enhance the choice of birth mode and minimize vaginal birth complications. The study emphasized on the need of a sex specific state-of-the art anthropometric investigations at term pregnancy.