Sex Ratios at Birth Following Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing in Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Objective: Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) can determine fetal chromosomal sex early in pregnancy, raising the possibility of sex selection. However, current evidence regarding this practice is limited. Our objective was to assess the sex ratio at birth (SRB) among a cohort of infants born following NIPT from a single laboratory provider in Victoria, Australia (2014–2018). Method: The NIPT dataset was linked with Victorian birth records. SRB and estimated relative risk of the birth of a male infant based on maternal major region of birth, parity and maternal age were calculated. An SRB was considered outside the natural range if the point estimate and 95% confidence interval were outsid..