What does the sex of the child depend on?

Gender of the child-what does it depend on?

Sex chromosomes are responsible for human gender, the genetic one. Every healthy person has 1 pair of sex chromosomes. In the case of women, it’s the XX pair, and in the case of men, it’s the XY pair. This means that the child always receives an X chromosome from the mother (or more precisely, her egg cell). It is the father, in a sense, who determines the sex of the child. If the X chromosome is also transferred from him (the sperm), a girl will be born, while if Y- a boy. The talk in this article is only about genetics and correct inheritance. Note the presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes, for example, in Turner syndrome (a girl with 1 X chromosome).

Ways to find out the sex of your baby

There are descriptions in the public opinion of “ways” to get the gender of the toddler of one’s choice. Many people believe in the theory related to the survival time of specific sperm. According to her, those with an X chromosome are slower, but are able to survive longer in the vagina. This means that if intercourse occurred a few days before ovulation, theoretically, the chance is greater of giving birth to a girl. This is because sperm containing the Y chromosome are faster and shorter-lived. Therefore, wanting to give birth to a boy, the couple should have intercourse on the day or the day before ovulation. However, there are no scientific studies confirming the effectiveness of this technique. There is also a method related to the difference in electrical potentials of sperm. However, it is best to assume that the chance of hitting the chosen sex of the baby is always 50% regardless of the methods and methods used.

The only medical ways to plan the sex of a child are the IVF procedure and sperm clustering. This is most often used in the case of inherited sex-linked diseases. To avoid their occurrence in the child, it is necessary in such a situation to “plan” its sex.

When is the sex of the baby visible?

The sex of the child is determined when the sperm fertilizes the egg. Up to a certain point, however, embryos develop in the same way and gender cannot be distinguished on ultrasound. Mostly as early as about 12. Week, however, is possible. Much depends on the quality of the equipment, the experience of the doctor, but also, importantly, the positioning of the baby in the uterine cavity. In many cases, children do not want to show their gender for a long time. When in doubt, the 3D technique in ultrasound can be useful. The sex of the baby is also determined by non-invasive prenatal tests and, giving 100 percent certainty, by karyotype testing after an invasive test such as diagnostic amniocentesis. 

Read more:
When can you see the sex of your baby

Gender of the child-myths

Several decades ago, when ultrasound was not as popular and accurate as it is today, the sex of the baby often remained a mystery until the birth. Therefore, all sorts of theories were created to predict the sex of the baby. Among them, the most popular method was the one related to assessing the shape of the mother-to-be’s belly. This is because it was believed that round meant a daughter and pointed meant a son. The beauty of the pregnant woman was also analyzed. The boy added to it, and the girl subtracted. Importance was also attached to what the mother-to-be craved-whether sweet or sour. However, these are myths that have been reproduced for years, which stemmed in those years mainly from the desire to predict sex without modern technology available as it is today.