Girl or Boy? At-Home Test Reveals Baby’s Gender During Pregnancy

submit to reddit

babyIn the past, an expectant mother who wanted to know the gender of her unborn baby had to wait for a sonogram 20 weeks into her pregnancy. But now an at-home test can determine a baby’s sex only 10 weeks in, with 78 to 80 percent accuracy, according to IntelliGender, the test’s creator.

When we asked the company’s rep exactly how the test worked, we were told what we pretty much already knew: It’s an analysis of urine in which chemicals react with hormones to indicate the gender of the baby. It takes about 10 minutes for the urine sample to turn either orange (for a girl) or green (for a boy).  Interestingly, recent sexual activity can yield a false “boy” result.

The tests won’t be sold in India and China, where an overriding preference for male babies could prompt a rash of terminated pregnancies for women carrying girls. Here in the States, the company warns against a somewhat less drastic reaction parents might have when they see the results: painting the nursery a gender-specific color.

Related Content:
Discoblog: Two Twins, Two Dads: DNA Test Proves “Twins” Born to Different Fathers
Discoblog: When Technology Gets Creepy: Giving Birth in Second Life
Discoblog: Pregnant Woman Discovers She Has an Extra Womb

Image: flickr / peasap

June 9th, 2009 5:46 PM Tags: , ,
by Allison Bond in Sex & Mating, Technology Attacks! | 9 comments | RSS feed | Trackback >

9 Responses to “Girl or Boy? At-Home Test Reveals Baby’s Gender During Pregnancy”

  1. 1.   Romeo Vitelli Says:

    “The tests won’t be sold in India and China, where an overriding preference for male babies could prompt a rash of terminated pregnancies for women carrying girls.”

    They won’t be sold legally. You can bet they’ll be available on the black market and, naturally, without the medical guidance to use these tests to get any kind of real accuracy.

  2. 2.   M. Glenister Says:

    That test could actually spawn some cultural evolution in China & India. As some parts of China have already discovered, the shortage of females is forcing some cousins to marry – a practice frowned upon. If a test like this did dramatically decrease the relative numbers of females, then suddenly they might realize that “Oh, females are valuable.” and even reverse, or hopefully discontinue, the whole dowry concept (”illegal” but still practiced in India). In less than 20 years we could see a dramatic paradigm shift, as well as needed negative population growth.

  3. 3.   Jo Says:

    Given the population bias in such areas, it’s pretty obvious that such gender selection is happening already. I don’t see much point in banning the tests, particularly if they mean an earlier termination.

  4. 4.   Reno Says:

    what is the accuracy of this test? it could lead to a lot of unnecessary abortions, etc.
    A hormonal method for sex detection is susceptible to so many problems, I doubt it could be more than 60 – 70% accurate. aS for the concept of reversing the value of females, the current evidence does not support that. The rarity of females in China has not made them more valuable, but more of a commodity. As something to be stolen, bought, sold or bartered away at once or piecemeal (forced prostitution). There are now organized groups specializing in smuggling females from other Asian countries into China to satisfy demand.

  5. 5.   pauline mary Says:

    need to know what is symtomos for boy and girl baby during pregnancy.

  6. 6.   Prehistoric Crustaceans Produced Sperm Larger than the Animals Themselves | Discoblog | Discover Magazine Says:

    [...] Content: Discoblog: Girl or Boy? At-Home Test Reveals Baby’s Gender During Pregnancy Discoblog: Does the Taste of Semen Have Evolutionary Roots? Discoblog: Is Virginity Loss Really [...]

  7. 7.   The Next Pregnancy Must-Have: A Three-Dimensional Model of Your Fetus | Discoblog | Discover Magazine Says:

    [...] Content: Discoblog: Girl or Boy? At-Home Test Reveals Baby’s Gender During Pregnancy Discoblog: Two Twins, Two Dads: DNA Test Proves “Twins” Born to Different Fathers Discoblog: [...]

  8. 8.   Woman Gets Pregnant…While Already Pregnant | Discoblog | Discover Magazine Says:

    [...] Content: Discoblog: Girl or Boy? At-Home Test Reveals Baby’s Gender During Pregnancy Discoblog: When Technology Gets Creepy: Giving Birth in Second Life Discoblog: Pregnant Woman [...]

  9. 9.   khad Says:

    thanks
    is it available in syria or in any arabian contry
    please how can I get this test

Leave a Reply