Parents can find out sex of foetus after three weeks

The Independent ^ | 30 January, 2002 | Charles Arthur

[ThJ1800]

Parents can find out sex of foetus after three weeks

By Charles Arthur, Independent, 30 January 2002

Blood tests may soon be able to inform pregnant mothers whether they are carrying a boy or a girl less than three weeks into their pregnancy.
New research has found that it is possible to tell almost from the start of pregnancy whether the foetus is male or female, based on the levels of a hormone called called human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) in the mother's blood.
"We've discovered that levels were increased as early as 16 days after fertilisation," said Dr Yuval Yaron, the director of the prenatal genetic diagnosis unit at the Tel Aviv Medical Centre in Israel. Boys and girls produced "statistically significant" differences in the levels of HCG in the blood, with female embryos leading to levels 18.5 per cent higher, on average. The presence of HCG is already used to detect pregnancy in home-testing kits.

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[VeritatisSplendor]

Hcg levels can vary by a factor of 50 from woman to woman, and a day or two difference in the estimation of dates also can have an enormous effect. How do these people publish this baloney? The only FACT they have is that there is an average 18.5 percent difference between male and female which indicates absolutely NOTHING in an individual case.

Mrs VS

[BibChr]

Wow. A lump of tissue has gender. Think of it!

Dan

[Artist]

"Wow."

Indeed.

[ThJ1800]

I hate to be a bother, but would you mind explaining a little more. Thanks in advance.

[VeritatisSplendor]

Just run a search on "hcg levels" and look for a table. There is wide normal range, and levels usually double in 2 days, sometimes less.

Mrs VS