Effect of Fetal Sex on Total Levels of Maternal Serum Testosterone

Abstract

The aim of this study was to find out the effect of fetal sex on maternal serum total testosterone level and its application for fetal sex determination.

Forty healthy pregnant (second trimester) females were recruited in the study from rural areas of district Dir lower, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, having complete antenatal record. Twenty of them were carrying single male fetuses and twenty female fetuses. The inclusions criteria were age (25 to 30), second trimester, absence of serious diseases, availability of antenatal record, no drug addiction and no exposure to pesticides.  Blood samples at 5 ml size were collected from each woman, serum was obtained and was assayed by Bio-check (USA) kit according to the manufacturer protocol.

In male fetus group the mean and SD was 169±27.18 ng/dl and in female fetus group the Mean± SD was 166.6±30.47 ng/dl. There was nosignificant difference (P 0.1062) between the two groups at 95% confidence level.

The results suggest that sex of the fetus has no association with maternal serum total testosterone among the study population-and should not be analyzed for sex determination. Further study with bigger sample size of different population groups in different gestational stages is needed to find the fetal effect on maternal serum testosterone because, increased level of testosterone in females can cause aggression, other behavioral changes, acnes and abrupt growth of pubic and axillary hairs.