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Is there a sex difference in fetal behavior? A comparison of the KANET test between male and female fetuses

  • Toshiyuki Hata EMAIL logo , Uiko Hanaoka , Mohamed Ahmed Mostafa AboEllail , Rina Uematsu , Junko Noguchi , Takashi Kusaka and Asim Kurjak
Published/Copyright: March 4, 2016
Journal of Perinatal Medicine
From the journal Journal of Perinatal Medicine Volume 44 Issue 5

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the sex difference in fetal behavior between male and female fetuses.

Methods: Fetal behavior was assesed by Kurjak’s antenatal neurodevelopmental test (KANET) using four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound between 28 and 39 weeks of gestation. Fifty-nine male and 53 female fetuses in middle- and high-class nulliparaous Japanese women were studied. The total value of the KANET score and values of each parameter (eight parameters) were compared.

Results: The total KANET score was normal in both groups, and there was no significant difference in the total KANET score. When individual KANET parameters were compared, no significant differences were noted in all eight parameters.

Conclusion: Our results show that there is no difference in fetal behavior between male and female fetuses in the third trimester of pregnancy. These results suggest that 4D ultrasound study examining fetal behavior does not need to consider the factor of fetal sex.

Keywords: Fetal behavior; KANET test; nulliparous woman; sex difference; 4D ultrasound
Corresponding author: Toshiyuki Hata, MD, PhD, Department of Perinatology and Gynecology, Kagawa University Graduate School of Medicine, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan, Tel.: +81-(0)87-891-2174, Fax: +81-(0)87-891-2175, E-mail:

Acknowledgments

The work reported in this paper was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas “Constructive Developmental Science” (No. 24119004), and Research Grant (No. 25462561) from The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

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  1. The authors stated that there are no conflicts of interest regarding the publication of this article.

Received: 2015-11-13
Accepted: 2016-2-8
Published Online: 2016-3-4
Published in Print: 2016-7-1

©2016 by De Gruyter

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https://doi.org/10.1515/jpm-2015-0387
Keywords for this article
Fetal behavior; KANET test; nulliparous woman; sex difference; 4D ultrasound

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Frontmatter
  2. Editorial
  3. Preventing preterm birth
  4. Original articles
  5. Vertically transmitted cytomegalovirus infection in newborn preterm infants
  6. Computerized vital signs analysis and late onset infections in extremely low gestational age infants
  7. Oral propranolol in early stages of retinopathy of prematurity
  8. Changes in incidence of iatrogenic and spontaneous preterm births over time: a population-based study
  9. Predictive factors for preterm delivery under rural conditions in post-tsunami Banda Aceh
  10. Early pregnancy serum neopterin concentrations predict spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic pregnant women
  11. Funisitis is more common in cervical insufficiency than in preterm labor and preterm premature rupture of membranes
  12. Amniotic fluid LPCAT1 mRNA correlates with the lamellar body count
  13. Recommendation and Guidelines for Perinatal Practice
  14. Fetal magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound
  15. Original articles - Obstetrics
  16. Relationship between first-trimester serum placental protein-13 and maternal characteristics, placental Doppler studies and pregnancy outcome
  17. Higher D-dimer level in the early third trimester predicts the occurrence of postpartum hemorrhage
  18. Extra-abdominal removal of placenta during cesarean section: a prospective randomized controlled trial of a novel technique
  19. Correlation of intrapartum translabial ultrasound parameters with computed tomographic 3D reconstruction of the female pelvis
  20. Cost effectiveness of universal umbilical cord blood gas and lactate analysis in a tertiary level maternity unit
  21. Original articles - Fetus
  22. Is there a sex difference in fetal behavior? A comparison of the KANET test between male and female fetuses
  23. Determination of antepartum and intrapartum risk factors associated with neonatal intensive care unit admission
  24. Short communication
  25. A guide on how to build a novel home-made part task training simulator for cervical cerclage training
  26. Congress Calendar
  27. Congress Calendar
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