WHY GUYS DIE AHEAD OF GALS

June 1, 2008 -- Men begin life at a disadvantage, and are 11/2 to two times more likely than girls to die at birth.

And that's just the beginning, according to the new book "Why Men Die First" by Marianne Legato. Developmental disorders, including attention-deficit disorder, Tourette's syndrome and autism, are three to four times more common in boys than girls - a result of the challenges that males face in the prenatal stage and the weeks following birth.