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medRxiv PreprintsInternational5 October 2026

Fewer Boys Were Born After Brazil's Gamma COVID-19 Wave and Pele's Death: A National Time-Series Analysis

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The sex ratio at birth (SRB), or secondary sex ratio, is stable, with more boys born alive, but shifts after major events. Acute stress may reduce SRB through disproportionate male fetal loss, while sexual intercourse patterns around conception are associated with offspring sex. We examined whether Brazil's April 2021 Gamma-wave mortality peak was followed by an SRB decline within the previously reported stress-sensitive 3-5 month window. We analysed >81 million live births (1997-2024) from Brazil's Live Birth Information System (SINASC) using pre-pandemic autoregressive forecasts with 95% pre
— medRxiv Preprints
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