title: A decrease in sex ratio at birth nine months after the earthquake in L'Aquila.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple factors influence the secondary sex ratio (SSR) including stress, which appears to affect mainly the males born.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We evaluate the effects of the earthquake in L'Aquila on the SSR.
  
  
  METHODS
  The SSR for the first six months of 2010 was compared to that of the same period of 2008. The chi-square test and Fisher's test were used for the statistical analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine months after the earthquake, an important reduction in the SSR was recorded: January 2010 versus January 2008 =0.62 versus 0.96. An overall fall in the SSR was also recorded when the first 3 months of 2010 were compared to the first three months of 2008: 0,82 versus 1,11. When the first three months of 2010 were compared with the second three months of 2010, a statistically significant increase of the sex ratio at birth was noted (0,82 versus 1,27).
authors: Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, San Salvatore Hospital, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: D'Alfonso
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Patacchiola
authors: I
authors: I
authors: Colagrande
authors: G
authors: G
authors: D'Alessandro
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Di Fonso
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Palermo
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Carta
mesh_terms: D055866:Earthquakes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D012744:Sex Ratio