Objective: Mothers sero-positive for hepatitis B are slightly more likely to have a son. It is not known whether it is ever having HBV (HBsAg[+]) or currently active HBV (HBeAg[+]) which is associated with having a son.
Method: Multivariable linear regression was used to assess the adjusted association of HBeAg(+) with offspring sex in all (90%) births (~3 million) in Taiwan from 1988 to 1999.
Results: Totally, 5% of mothers were HBeAg(+). HBeAg(+) mothers were slightly more likely to have a son (sex ratio 108 rather than 106) adjusted for HBsAg, birth order, mother's age, birth year, and area of residence.
Conclusion: At a population level HBV status makes little difference to the sex ratio at birth.
Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.