As a child, you must have learned in biology class that the sex of a baby is determined by a male.
For some reason, the doctor will not tell the prospective parents the gender of the baby when you go to the hospital for an obstetric examination after pregnancy.
Due to a strong curiosity, various “experiences” have been used to summarize the opinions of distinguishing boys and girls. The most common are the following two:
One:
“A boy with a pointed belly, a girl with a round belly”
Second statement:
“Sour Girl”…
Which of the two statements is more accurate?
Zhimei has a colleague whose appetite didn’t change much during pregnancy. Her belly was big and round, and the more she looked, the more she looked like a ball. Many people were convinced that it was a girl when they saw it, and they gave birth to a handsome little boy. prince.
Clearly, there is no scientific basis for determining the sex of a fetus from the shape of the belly.
The shape of the pregnant mother’s belly is largely related to the size of the fetus, the position of the fetus, and the body shape of the pregnant mother:
1. Baby size
Boy babies are generally heavier than female babies, but the difference in the shape of the belly of pregnant mothers is not obvious due to the difference in size.
2. Fetal position
In the womb, if the fetus is facing away from the mother, the belly will appear pointed; if the fetus is facing the mother, the belly will appear round.
3. Pregnant body shape
If the pregnant mother is thin and small, as the fetus gradually grows, the space for the lateral development of the belly is limited, and the belly can only be pushed forward. At this time, the belly will appear sharper.
On the contrary, pregnant mothers with a fatter body have a more rounded belly.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Furthermore, pregnant mothers who love to eat sour do not want to give birth to boys.
The claim of “sour children and spicy girls” has no medical basis. Pregnant women love to eat acid because their body needs, because after pregnancy, the placenta secretes a substance called HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin).
It inhibits the secretion of gastric enzymes. Pregnant women often experience nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and other symptoms due to a significant reduction in gastric acid secretion.
These symptoms can be improved by eating acidic foods, so pregnant women will become sour.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
In addition, the taste of pregnant women is also related to the eating habits of the region and family. However, there was no significant difference in the sex ratio of newborns across regions.
The sex of the fetus is determined by the sex chromosomes. There is no scientific basis for judging the sex of the fetus only by the changes in the taste of the pregnant woman.
Everyone knows that the sex of a baby is determined by a male.
Females have XX chromosomes and males have XY. When the egg fuses with a male’s X-type sperm, it develops into a girl; when the egg fuses with a Y-type sperm, it develops into a boy [1].
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Therefore, males with Y chromosomes are the key to determining the sex of the baby.
The real difference between men and women is actually doomed the moment the egg and sperm combine.
Don’t believe in the various methods of reincarnation on the market, such as the use of reincarnation pills and “pick up male baby”, etc., so as not to cause an irreversible situation.
Because the male ejaculate contains a large amount of sperm, which contains both X-type sperm and Y-type sperm.
Exactly under what conditions these “running” sperm are more likely to bond with the egg remains unanswered.
Determining the gender of a baby is not difficult for modern medicine.
1. Ultrasound imaging technology (B-ultrasound)
This technique is relatively safe, has no adverse effects on the fetus, and is widely used in obstetrics and gynecology.
The accuracy of diagnosing the sex of a fetus is over 95% for boys and about 85% for girls [2].
However, this technique requires a relatively high degree of fetal development, pregnancy for more than 4 months, and the basic formation of genitals.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
2. Amniocentesis
Mainly for diagnosis of fetal chromosomal or neural tube defects, usually performed at 16-20 weeks of pregnancy.
There are certain risks and must be done by a professional doctor. The medical community does not approve of amniocentesis just to measure the sex of the fetus [2].
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
3. Villus collection
Also called “villus sampling”, it is usually done at 8-10 weeks of pregnancy.
The main purpose, like amniocentesis, is to diagnose whether the chromosomes of the fetus are normal. The main purpose of using this method to detect gender is to diagnose some gender-related genetic diseases.
It’s important to stress here that these methods are not intended to cater to people’s desire to have boys and girls.
Instead, use such medical methods to detect disease-causing genes, such as hemophilia, pseudohypertrophic progressive muscular dystrophy and other disease-causing genes, thereby reducing the risk of children with genetic diseases. Birth probability.
In order to prevent parents from miscarriage and induction of labor because the gender of the baby does not meet their wishes, doctors are not allowed to disclose the gender of the baby to prospective parents without special circumstances.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Finally, I would like to remind everyone that we cannot choose the gender of the baby, nor do we have to choose. It is a blessing to have a boy or a girl, and it is best to let the baby be born with love.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
Reviewer
Feng Cuiping| Deputy Chief Physician of Obstetrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital
References
[1] Zhang Chuanying. Teaching design for the lesson “Human Chromosomes and Sex Determination” [w]. Biology Teaching, 2020, 45(1):29-30.
[2] Such. Is it true that “a boy’s belly is pointed, and a girl’s belly is round”? [J]. Approaching Science. 2015(7):27.
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