What does this article add?
Our findings suggested that PIH of the mother was an important independent risk factor for hypospadias in Chinese newborns, while chronic hypertension was irrelevant.
In addition, lower birth weight and SGA, which represent restricted growth of the fetus, and hyperthyroidism of the mother, were also significantly associated with hypospadias.
Background
Hypospadias is the most common type of male external genital malformation, and it typically manifests as simultaneous defects of the urethra and corpus spongiosum [4]. Patients with hypospadias are usually unable to urinate in a normal posture, and their sexual function may be affected in adulthood, which is not only inconvenient but also triggers anxiety and low self-esteem and may therefore cause serious psychological injury to patients and their families. Little is known about how to prevent or treat hypospadias due to the current lack of information regarding its mechanism and risk factors.
The incidence of hypospadias ranges from 0.3%–0.5%, and this condition has recently shown an increasing trend [1, 2]. Corrective surgeries have been attempted to improve the patients’ appearance and function, but postoperative complicationscannot be completelyprevented [3]. Therefore, hypospadias is a serious social problem that impactsboth genital formation and the patients’ psychology.
Previous research among Caucasian populations has showna relationship between gestational hypertension and hypospadias in offspring. It is known that placental dysfunction and abnormal placental blood flow perfusion caused by pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) are potential mechanisms for genital malformations [6, 7] and therefore may also contribute to the pathogenesis of hypospadias. Only limited data exist on the special risks and teratogenic effects of hypertension in pregnancy, and large studiesina Chinese population are extremely scarce. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between hypospadias in Chinese newborns and hypertensive disorder during pregnancy to provide a perspective on the domestic clinical prevention of hypospadias.
Materials and methods