Babies
9 - For centuries, expectant mothers have been hearing talesof how to predict the sex of their baby, but researchers say they have found an accurate predictor: Women who suffer severe morning sickness early in pregnancy are more likely to have a girl. babies Babies. The finding by epidemiologists at Stockholm's Karolinska Institute may give credence to an observation once made by Hippocrates, physician to the Ancient Greeks and the father of Western medicine. He said that a woman carrying a female baby has a pale face, whereas if she is carrying a male baby, she has a healthy tone to her skin. The scientific study, published in this week's issue of The Lancet medical journal, found that mothers-to-be who get severe morning sickness in their first trimester are more likely to have a girl than a boy. babies Pregnancy gender. Prediction a Holy Grail"Throughout history, people have tried to predict the sex of their offspring," the study said. "Despite efforts to find reliable physical signs or symptoms to indicate the sex of the offspring, none have been found. " The Swedish scientists examined all births in Sweden between 1987 and 1995. babies Predict babys gender. More than one million children were born during that time, 51 percent of them girls, 49 percent boys. But when the scientists looked only at the 5,900 women who were admitted to hospitals in the first three months of their pregnancy with vomiting and extreme nausea, the ratio changed. Fifty-six percent of those struck with nasty morning sickness in their first trimester gave birth to girls and 44 percent bore boys. However, among women who were hospitalized with severe morning sickness later in their pregnancies, the gender ratio of the babies matched the national figures. Hormone May Induce SicknessThe scientists couldn't tell why the women were sick, but they suspected it was because their bodies produced increased amounts of a pregnancy-related hormone called human chorionic gonadotropin. In normal pregnancies, a female fetus is associated with higher concentrations of the hormone in the mother when she gives birth, though levels in early pregnancy are unknown, the study said.
Babies
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