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