Preterm male infants need more initial respiratory support than female infants.
Female infants have a significantly greater chance of surviving than male infants at similar birthweights and gestational ages, and have an advantage over males for a better outcome with less morbidity.


CONCLUSIONS
The exact mechanisms responsible for the gender differences, with a better chance of survival of female infants, remain to be determined. The paper by Elsmén et al. provides an important contribution to this most important area of clinical research.
Pollak
A
A
Department of Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, University Children's Hospital, Vienna, Austria. arnold.pollak@akh-wien.ac.at
Birnbacher
R
R
D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012127:Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Newborn / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors